Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary (India)

IN214

Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary

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Site description (2004 baseline):

Site location and context

Shettihalli WLS is situated in the Shimoga district, 270 km from Bangalore. The northeastern part of the Sanctuary has Tiger-Lion Safari (91 ha, created on 26 June 1988) at Thyavarekappa within which there is a small zoo. Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary, present on a small island in the River Tunga is also a part of this Sanctuary. Shettihalli Sanctuary comprises a core zone (10,060 ha), a buffer zone (23,740 ha) and a tourism zone (5,760 ha). (Manjrekar 2000). Despite its proximity to Shimoga town, it still retains forests ranging from dry deciduous to semi-evergreen. There are a large number of human settlements inside Shettihalli Sanctuary, mainly consisting of families that were displaced by the construction of the Sharavathi Dam in the 1960s. The Sanctuary has mostly Dry and Moist Deciduous Forests in the eastern and central parts. Towards the west, with an increase in rainfall, there are Semi-evergreen Forests. Trees of the deciduous parts include Terminalia tomentosa, T. bellerica, Gmelina arborea, Tectona grandis, Anogeissus latifolia, Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Wrightia tinctora, Cassia fistula and Emblica officinalis. In the Moist Deciduous Forest, species such as Adina cordifolia, Xylia xylocarpa, Grewia tiliaefolia and Kydia calycina occur. Bamboos Dendrocalamus strictus and Bambusa arundinacea, are also typical of these forests. The Semi-evergreen forests are represented by species of Dipterocarpus, Michelia, Hopea, Schleichera and Bambusa. Plantations of Acacia auriculiformis, Tectona grandis and Grevillea robusta exist in the Sanctuary.

Key biodiversity

AVIFAUNA: No work has been done on the avifauna of this IBA site, but the site would have many restricted range, globally threatened and biome-restricted species. Presently it is considered Data Deficient. It is considered as an IBA only because good forest is still found in patches despite tremendous biotic pressures.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: The mammalian fauna of the sanctuary includes Tiger Panthera tigris, Leopard P. pardus, Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Golden Jackal Canis aureus, Gaur Bos frontalis, Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus, Bonnet Macaque Macaca radiata, Mongoose Herpestes edwardsi, Elephant Elephas maximus, Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Spotted Deer Axis axis, Langur Semnopithecus entellus, Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica, Common Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista petaurista, and Pangolin Manis Indica. King Cobra Ophiophagus hannah, Indian Rock Python Python molurus, Rat Snake Ptyas mucosus, Marsh Crocodile Crocodylus palustris are among the reptiles that inhabit the IBA.

Pressure/threats to key biodiversity

MAIN THREATS: Human settlements; National Highway.

The Sanctuary is among the most disturbed sanctuaries in Karnataka. Not only are there 112 villages within, there are a number of encroachments within the sanctuary boundaries. Land measuring 200 ha has been taken over by Gajanur Dam, 30 ha has gone for roads and there are many power transmission lines within the Sanctuary. The Sholapur-Mangalore National Highway passes through the Sanctuary and the road has lately been upgraded into a four-lane highway.

Acknowledgements

Key contributor: Ameen Ahmed.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/shettihalli-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 22/11/2024.