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Site description (2004 baseline):

This Sanctuary lies in Chamba district, 113 km from Chamba town. Access is from Kilar by foot to Sechu (15 km), alternatively via Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir to Sarsu and onwards by foot to Sechu. The Sanctuary includes several glaciers. Hindu and Buddhist temples are also located at Bhat, Tuan, Hilu, Chrroti and Kalichor. There are 11 villages inside the Sanctuary, with a total population of more than a thousand people. Fourteen villages with a population of about 3,000 are located in the surrounding area. The number of livestock grazing inside the Sanctuary is above 3,000 (Singh et al. 1990). According to Champion and Seth (1968), three forest types are found in this IBA: Dry Alpine Scrub, Moist Alpine Scrub, and Lower Western Himalayan Temperate Forest. Species of medicinal value include Aconitum heterophyllum, Jurinea macrocephala and Ephedra gerardiana (Singh et al. 1990). Plantations of fuelwood and other commercial forest products have been established by the Forest Department. Species planted include Cedar Cedrus deodara, Poplar Salix sp., Kail Pinus wallichiana, Willow Alnus, Robinia Robinia sp. and Walnut Juglans regia (Singh et al. 1990).

AVIFAUNA: There is a paucity of published records on the birds of this Sanctuary. Singh et al. (1990) provide a preliminary list of 16 bird Forest species recorded in the Sanctuary, but considering the size and altitude gradient, there could be ten times more species. Five species from Biome-5 (Eurasian High Montane (Alpine and Tibetian) and four of Biome-7 (Sino-Himalayan Temperate Forest) have been identified in the preliminary list. The globally threatened Western Tragopan Tragopan melanocephalus is present in this IBA, but its density and distribution are not known. Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis, Himalayan or Impeyan Monal Lophophorus impejanus and Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha are found here but data on general bird life is lacking. The site is considered Data Deficient till we have more information on avifauna.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: Sechu Tuan is a high altitude sanctuary with significant populations of Himalayan Ibex Capra sibirica and Musk deer Moschus chrysogaster. Snow Leopard Uncia uncia has also been reported (Singh et al. 1990).

In the alpine and sub-alpine regions, besides the Snow Leopard, Ibex Capra sibirica, Blue Sheep Pseudois nayaur and Himalayan Mouse Hare or Pika Ochotona roylei have been recorded. At slightly lower elevations, Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Brown Bear Ursus arctos, Goral Nemorhaedus goral, Serow Nemorhaedus sumatraensis, and Himalayan Tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus can be seen.

MAIN THREATS: Human habitation; Firewood collection; Illegal felling of trees; Forest fires.

The villagers hold rights or leases for the collection of timber and fuelwood, agriculture, settlement, burial grounds and religious practices. There are 23 km of Public Works Department roads, and Irrigation Department pipelines and canals within the Sanctuary. In addition, about 3 ha is used for schools by the Education Department, and some area for medical dispensaries at Chasog. Timber extraction goes on under Forest Development Corporation, and the Forest Department maintains three nurseries (Singh et al. 1990). Rodgers and Panwar (1988) have recommended upgrading of this Sanctuary to a National Park status as this site still has viable populations of high altitude mammals and pheasants.

Key contributor: Sanjeeva Pandey.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sechu Tuan Nala Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sechu-tuan-nala-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 23/11/2024.