JOIN USThe lesser-known district of Tumkur is a repository of exotic wildlife species, writes Ameen Ahmed
The district of Tumkur, spread over an area of 10,000 sq km, is located in the interior part of south Karnataka. Though only about four per cent of its geographical area is covered by forests, it is still home to a variety of wildlife species and some picturesque landscapes. Two prominent hill chains made up of metamorphic rocks stand on the archean complex, running from north to south.
The hills in the east are made up of closepet granite, a part of Dharwar group of rocks. This chain, which has some monoliths shooting over 1,000 m, houses many important reserve forests of the district like Madhugiri, Siddarabetta (Koli Kalu State Forest), Devarayanadurga and Ujjini. The hill chain of schist rocks in the west is rich in minerals like iron. These mineral-rich hills which were even mined for gold until a few decades ago, are home to some of the largest contiguous forests of south-interior Karnataka like Bukkapatna and Manchaldore.
Away from the hills, at the other end of the spectrum, the district has some of Karnataka’s best grassland habitats like Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve near Maidenahalli village where numerous blackbucks still thrive. This well-known protected area lies near the inter-state boundary along Hindupur taluk of Seemandhra’s Anantpur district. The district is also home to hundreds of wetlands as well as springs called as Tala Paragis.
Tumkur comprises various areas of wilderness which are lesser known to people. One such region is the Madhugiri State Forest. Madhugiri town is situated 105 km north-west of Bangalore. The hills around Madhugiri echo with some of the most fascinating stories.
Resplendent with fortified hills like Madhugiri, Midigeshi and Chennarayanadurga, this area is rich in human, biological and geological history and the scenery here is stunning, particularly in the monsoon and winters.
The town was an important cantonment during medieval times, deriving its name from the hill located to its south. Madhugiri Hill is a monolith granite rock that has awed warriors and rock climbers alike. This one-rock hill rises over 1,500 ft and is over 3,800 ft above the mean sea level, making it among the tallest monoliths in the world. Often ruled by Nayakas – local chieftains, it changed hands with Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan taking control of this fort before the British captured it in 1792 along with the neighbouring Chennarayanadurga Fort.
Madhugiri State Forest lies in the southern shadows of the Madhugiri Hill and its environs. This dry, deciduous forest with patches of moist woods along many streams, has minimal human contact as there are hardly any roads inside it. It is contiguous with the forests around the historic hill fort of Chennarayanadurga and a stone’s throw away from Siddarabetta Hill in Koli Kaalu State Forest, known for its medicinal plants.
It is also home to a good number of sloth bears. While visitors to the forest in early mornings or late evenings are welcomed by peafowl and sambars, many have sighted monitor lizards sheltering amidst the shade. Late evenings are a good time to catch sight of the sloth bear. Amidst the forests is the serene British-built Thimlapura Forest Bungalow constructed in 1898. The local pro-wildlife group Wildlife Aware Nature Club (WANC) has requested the state government to declare this area as a Sloth Bear Conservation Reserve.
Similarly, the Devarayanadurga State Forest is an example of a wilderness area whose human and natural history is better documented than many of our sanctuaries. This 42 sq km forest is among the oldest declared reserve forests in India.
There are records of how the British accorded it some degree of legal protection since the 1850s. Declared a reserve forest in 1907, it is remarkably well protected for any forest which is just 6 km away from Tumkur City.
The forest is home to nearly 250 species of birds and hundreds of varieties of medicinal plants. The slopes of Devarayanadurga hill are one of the best places in Karnataka to sight the endemic yellow-throated bulbul.
One of a kind
Located 9 km to the north-west of the historic Sira town, another taluk headquarter, Kaggaladu Heronry is the second largest painted stork nesting colony in Karnataka, after Kokkare Bellur. It is an example of the many wildlife populations that are being protected by local communities across the state.
In case of sites like these, the forest department and other government agencies afford legal protection to the land as they are usually located on government lands, while the protection from physical threats is provided by the local communities. This makes them ‘minimal cost-maximum protection’ wilderness areas, a showcase model for similar areas.
Just north-east of Kaggaladu along the Sira-Amrapura Road is the Big Banyan tree (Doddaalada mara) near Bandekunte Gate, another example of a community protected wilderness area. It is a roosting site for many species of owls and pigeons that attracts smaller mammals like jungle cats.
The pleasure of watching the enigmatic mammal slender loris in the wild has been made possible by one B V Gundappa, a talented schoolteacher and chairman of WANC. In the bamboo groves and agriculture hedgerows around Nagavalli village, 16 km to the south of Tumkur, a wild population of these creatures has been nurtured by him, with support from his students from surrounding villages.
Huliyurdurga is another place of historical significance in Tumkur. The town in Kannada literally translates to fort of tigers. Until a few decades ago, the place was surrounded by dense woods that echoed with roars of tigers. Fragmented forest patches are found even today in the nearby Ujjini state forest.
Within a few km of the town’s radius are many wetlands that host a variety of waterfowl, like the Nidsale and Deepambudhi lakes. At Kestur village, along State Highway 33, between Huliyurdurga and Maddur, just south of Ujjini Village (southern Tumkur District), there are many road-side trees that are nesting grounds for birds like little cormorants as well as pond herons.
Wetlands
There are many wetlands in Karnataka, particularly the marshes of old Mysore region which are home to an array of diverse waterfowl. The state of Karnataka has a good track record of highlighting the beauty of our wetlands through Forest department sponsored conservation initiatives. There are many such potential sites in Tumkur district like Tumkur Amanikere and Bheemasandra Kere (in Tumkur City), Kunigal Doddakere and Chikkakere (in Kunigal Town along Bangalore-Hassan National Highway) and backwaters of Markonahalli Reservoir (just off Bangalore-Hassan National Highway).
Although Karnataka is well-known for its many protected areas (wildlife sanctuaries and national parks) spread across the western ghats region, there are many hidden gems of wilderness not far from Bangalore. Tumkur is one such district that is home to a wide range of wildlife.