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Site description (2004 baseline):

This little known Sanctuary lies close to the Assam-Arunachal border and can be approached from Likabali on the way to Along, the district headquarters. A large number of streams and small rivers intersect the Sanctuary; the River Siji forms the western boundary of the area. The terrain is mainly hilly, with steep to gentle slopes that are covered by dense vegetation. Access to the interior of the Sanctuary is limited due to lack of roads, and so the forest especially the interior is untouched and pristine. The forest is a heterogeneous mixture of evergreen and semi-evergreen species. Bamboo forms a dense under-storey.

AVIFAUNA: So far about 70 species have recorded in the Kane WLS (Kumar 2003), but probably four times as many occur there (A. U. Choudhury pers. comm. 2003). There are a few pools deep inside the Sanctuary that appear ideal for the endangered White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata, though none were seen. Local hunters report Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis, a species considered Vulnerable by BirdLife International (2001).

The site lies in Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA 130), according to the classification of Stattersfield et al. (1998). In this EBA, 21 species have been listed, and from this site, only two species have been identified but need further confirmation. Once detailed studies are conducted on the bird diversity of this site, more Restricted Range species are likely to be found.

Owing to great variation in altitude from 120 m to 1,500 m, and presence of good forest cover of Subtropical Evergreen and Subtropical Broadleaf, forest birds of Biome-9 (Indo-Chinese Tropical Moist Forest) and Biome-8 (Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest) are likely to be found. Therefore, this site would qualify in A3 (Biome-restricted assemblages) criteria also.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: The area is known for the presence of threatened mammals such as Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Tiger Panthera tigris, Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, and Gaur Bos frontalis. There is little information available on the other fauna in the area.

MAIN THREATS: Hunting; Illegal felling of trees.

The Kane WLS is important for its relatively undisturbed pristine habitats. This area needs to be preserved for the conservation of threatened birds and mammals such as the Elephant and Tiger that have been lost elsewhere. There is some resentment amongst local people on the establishment of this Sanctuary, since they cannot hunt or collect forest products from the area anymore. Though it is located very close to the Assam-Arunachal border, this IBA has faced relatively few threats. Logging activities were mainly concentrated along the fringe areas, and encroachment for agriculture has been minimal. Hunting does occur, but it is much less than in other lowland areas.

Key contributors: Suresh Kumar, Bharat Bhushan Bhatt and Anwaruddin Choudhury.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kane Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kane-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 26/11/2024.