Data Zone
Site description (2004 baseline):
AVIFAUNA: Information on the avifauna of this Sanctuary is inadequate. The Sanctuary is close to the Murlen National Park, so most of the common species found in Murlen are also found here. This site falls in the Eastern Himalayas Endemic Bird Area in which 21 restricted range species have been identified. In the adjoining Murlem NP, two restricted range species (Grey Sibia Heterophasia gracilis and White-naped Yuhina Yuhina bakeri) were identified by Kaul et al. (2001). These species are likely to occur in this IBA also. As the habitat in Lengteng WLS is relatively intact, large numbers of Biome-8 (Sino-Himalayan Subtropical) and Biome-9 (Indo- Chinese Tropical Moist Forest) bird species are likely to occur, as they occur in the adjoining Murlem NP. There are cliffs, which are haunt of Dark-rumped Swift Apus acuticauda and also mamamls such as Goral Nemorhaedus goral. Four species of pheasants are found in this IBA: Grey Peacock Pheasant Polyplectron bicalcaratum, Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant Syrmaticus humiae and Kaleej Pheasant Lophura leucomelanos. Only Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant is globally threatened (BirdLife International 2001). Its status remains virtually unknown across its historic range in Myanmar, while hunting and habitat loss continue to be major threats throughout its range. According to Choudhury (2002), this bird is still widely distributed in Lengteng, above 850 m. In Mizoram, its habitat is largely secondary evergreen forest with grass. It occurs from Tropical Wet Evergreen Rain Forests to Subtropical Broadleaf Forests. Because of lower latitude in Mizoram, the tropical forest occurs up to 1500 m elevation. Between Lamzawl and Lengteng, Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant haunts the edges of abandoned jhum (shifting) cultivation (Choudhury 2002). Lengteng Willdife Sanctuary and Murlen National Park are perhaps the most important protected areas for this species in India (Choudhury, A. U. pers. comm. 2003). The Mountain Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola fytchii is very common, sometimes seen near villages also (Choudhury 2002). Lengteng is one of the last remaining strongholds of the Great Pied Hornbill Buceros bicornis in Mizoram.
OTHER KEY FAUNA: Almost all mammal elements found in the forest of Mizoram are seen in Lengteng, such as Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, Tiger Panthera tigris, Leopard Panthera pardus, Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, Serow Nemorhaedus sumatraensis and Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus. Among the non-human primates, Stumptailed Macaque Macaca arctoides, Assamese Macaque M. assamensis, Hoolock Gibbon Hylobates hoolock and Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus are found.
Asian Brown Tortoise Manouria emys is becoming rare due to over-harvesting (Choudhury 2004).
The major problem of this Sanctuary is that the staff strength is very low, resulting in tree cutting and poaching on the fringes. Jhum cultivation is practiced all around the Sanctuary. Villagers burn the forests to clear land for cultivation. Sometimes, these fires spread to the Sanctuary. Charaching of large mammals and birds is a persistent problem. The original area of the Sanctuary was 12,000 ha but due to pressure from the community, it was reduced to 8,000 ha. The remaining area is equally rich with primary forest and efforts should be made to include the same in the Sanctuary (A. U. Choudhury pers. comm. 2003).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lengteng-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 23/12/2024.