Largest 'home' of Lion tailed macaque found in Karnataka

Researchers suggest instant measures to protect the endangered animal

 Dr Honanavalli N Kumara, Chikmagalur-based wildlife biologist and a well known primatologist, along with Sirsi Deputy Conservator of Forests, Vijay Mohan Raj, are behind the exciting discovery.

With this find, Karnataka pips Kerala to become the world’s largest ‘home’ to the LTM, whose global presence is now restricted to the West Ghats. Earlier Kerala’s Silent valley held this distinction with over 200 macaque.

Kumara, who adopted a new method called sweep sampling, has not only discovered a large population of over 31 groups with a record estimation of over 600 macaque, but also developed a new and accurate method of assessing these arboreal social beings.

In 2004, Kumara along with Dr Mewa Singh, a leading wildlife biologist from Mysore had estimated a population of 32 groups in this region, which has now been confirmed. This is almost three times more than the number reported by leading wildlife biologist Ullas Karanth. Karanth had reported nine groups in this region. Each group, on an average, comprise 18 to 50 macaque.

Explaining his new methodology, Kumara said it involved walking along pre-determined paths with the help of locals maintaining equi-distance. “Each primate was counted and the location was recorded in GPS. During the study conducted in early 2008, we walked a distance of 1,056 km and sighted 31 groups with a population of 575 macaque,” he recalled.

Ideal for conservation

He said that the study area was the best patch to conserve the LTM as the other two patches, the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in Anamalai Hills, Tamil Nadu and the Silent Valley in Kerala, have only 14 groups. “Our estimate of lion tailed macaque population in Sirsi-Honnavar region is 638 animals in a continuous patch of 32, 479 hectares. It is ideal for conservation, spread across 28 villages,” he said.

The study suggests immediate conservation measures to protect the macaque as the valley is not free from the threat of fragmentation. The primary requirement for the LTM being the presence of unbroken natural canopy of the forests, fragmentation for any projects affects the canopy and shrinks the home ground of these animals.

Pointing out that developmental projects like Sharavathi Tail Race and Gerusoppa hydel power have led to pressure on forests, Kumara said that the transmission lines of Gerusoppa and Linganamakki too have been a major threat to the rare endemic creatures. Many of these animals, which depend on rain forests, have been electrocuted frequently.

Kumara and forest officials have recommended that the place be declared a Conservation Reserve under Section 36A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. But realising its importance, several experts are suggesting that it be declared a wildlife sanctuary.

LTM’s significance

Endemic to the Western Ghats, LTM  is found in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It has been declared critically endangered because of its selective feeding habits, limited range of occupancy, delayed sexual maturity, long inter-birth intervals, low population turnover and small remaining wild population.

The International Union of Conservation Network (IUCN) has declared it a critically endangered species following hunting, habitat loss and fragmentation. Silent Valley in Kerala was declared a protected area. A hydel power project planned there was stopped in the early seventies by former prime minister Indira Gandhi considering the significance of these macaque.