Site description (2004 baseline):
AVIFAUNA: Nearly 200 bird species are found in this Sanctuary (P. Jeganathan and A. R. Rahmani in prep.). The Critically Endangered Jerdon’s Courser was restricted to a small patch of scrub jungle within this Sanctuary. Recent studies reveal that this bird is found in three more localities within the Sanctuary (Jeganathan 2002). The Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary has been selected on the basis of presence of a single species. It is a Secondary Area where a single Restricted Range species is found (Stattersfield et al. 1998).
OTHER KEY FAUNA: Although the Sanctuary was declared with the sole purpose of protecting the habitat of the Jerdon’s Courser, many other species have benefited, perhaps more than the target species! Leopard Panthera pardus, Dhole or Indian Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus, Chital Axis axis, Sambar Cervus unicolor, Chinkara Gazella bennettii and Wild Boar Sus scrofa are seen in the forested areas. Even the Wolf Canis lupus has been sighted a couple of times since the year 2000 (P. Jeganathan pers. comm. 2001).
The major land use around the Sanctuary is agriculture, mainly for paddy, sunflower and cotton and in recent times sweet lime farming. Developmental activities such as construction of check dams, percolation ponds and trenching also carried on. The scrub jungle is being cleared to provide space for local people and for lemon farms, which is most alarming. Collection of fuel wood, illegal felling of trees, poaching of small animals and poisoning the water holes to kill deer and antelopes is known to occur in the Sanctuary.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sri-lankamalleswara-wildlife-sanctuary-iba-india on 23/11/2024.