The hazy blue of distant mountains crystallise into sharply rising, steep sided slopes as one enters the area of Male Mahadeshwara Hills. Contiguous with the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary to the east and bridging over to the Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks, the forests that cloak these hills offer a verdant sight for the eye that hungers for green. As one proceeds from the Kollegal side, the scrub vegetation gives way to dry deciduous forest. The ascent up the curving ghat road to Devarahalli town provides an interesting and eclectic spectacle of habitat types. The deciduous forest changes from dry to a more mixed type with some good tracts of bamboo and riparian vegetation in Madeshwara Malai and Kaudalli reserve forests. The Gopinattam and Hogenekal areas are again dry deciduous landscapes with the east flowing Palar River demarcating the state boundary.
Home to charismatic carnivores like the tiger, leopard, hyena and dhole, these forests are a repository of wildlife wealth. Walks along the many game trails that criss-cross the forest yield reveal the presence of a variety of herbivores and carnivores. Sambhar and muntjac are seen quite frequently. Muntjacs are more often heard than seen and Chital is seen more around the drier and flatter landscapes of the Kollegal and Gopinattam areas. These forests form an important ecological entity; in contiguity with the forests of B R Hills, they comprise a bridge between the eastern and western ghats and therefore represent an immense diversity of habitat types and biodiversity.
It is also a vital elephant corridor and herds numbering up to 20 to 25 animals have been reportedly sighted during the drier months on the banks of the Palar river. Common palm civet, slender loris, the endangered Grizzled Giant Squirrel and Mahaseer are some of the rare species found here.
These forests also boast of an impressive collection of avian fauna with around 200 species found. Rare and wonderful species like the Rufous Bellied Hawk Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Osprey, Lesser fishing eagle, Oriental honey buzzard, fairy bluebird, Rufous tailed lark and Paradise flycatcher are seen here.
However, like so many other wild areas of this country, these forests too have to cope with an immense degree of anthropogenic biotic pressures that threaten the integrity of this landscape. Once infamous as the stronghold of mustachioed brigand Veerappan, this area is once again thrown open for prospectors. The burgeoning population of the villages around is a huge drain on forest resources. Rampant harvesting of vast quantities of minor forest produce such as firewood, bamboo, gooseberry, tamarind, honey, etc. deplete the woods of valuable biomass. Grazing of village livestock imposes a huge drain on the food resources of wild herbivores, besides increasing the possibility of disease transmission to the wild ungulates.
The paucity of frontline staff has resulted in compromised vigilance and enforcement and consequently in increased poaching, usually executed using locally made and improvised traps, snares, baits etc. A variety of small mammals and ground birds like quails and partridges are commonly hunted this way. Another serious problem is the occurrence of annual fires, resulting from poor fire management, again accentuated by the shortage of staff.
However, one of the greatest threats to this ecosystem is from the granite mining operations by many private entities that have destroyed large tracts of hillsides in the Chengadi and Ponnachi areas. The proposed renewal of mining licenses in the wake of Veerappan's death pose the biggest conservation threat to this region in the near future. Dynamiting and chopping up of entire mountainsides for mining granite entails large-scale destruction of the landscape and complete denudation of forest cover, resulting in habitat loss of immense proportions.
As per the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, no developmental activities are permitted within protected areas. Fortunately, the Forest Department is doing a good job in opposing mining and invoking forest laws.
Instead of allowing these few remaining areas of ecological significance to be razed by ill-conceived profit-making activities, the government should take steps for better management and protection of such zones. Considering their importance to wildlife, the Madeshwara and Kombudikki reserve forests should be included in and notified as a part of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
There also needs to be an upgradation of protection from its present dismal state, with organised patrolling and dealing with poachers, timber smugglers and NTFP harvesters on a zero tolerance basis. Incrementing the number of watchers and other frontline staff is an important step in this regard. Study of the biodiversity of the area in a scientific and methodical manner should be encouraged and effective long term monitoring programs initiated.
With most wild areas succumbing to developmental pressures, ensuring protection to areas such as the forests around M M Hills and giving the biodiversity they house a chance to survive is the uncompromising need of the hour. It is imperative that the government realises this and takes appropriate measures to preserve the natural heritage of these forests.
(For Growing Wild)
