1.186.115.98 at 14:36, 11 June 2021

2021-06-11T14:36:21Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
| alt_name = ചിന്നാർ വന്യജീവി സംരക്ഷണ കേന്ദ്രം
| iucn_category =IV
| photo = Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.jpg
| map = India Kerala#India
| location =[[Kerala]], India
| coordinates = {{coord|10.3|N|77.175|E|display=inline,title}}
| established = August 1984
| area_km2 = 90.44
| elevation = 2372
| website = {{URL|www.chinnar.org}}
}}

'''Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary''' is located 18 km north of [[Marayoor]] on [[State Highway 17 (Tamil Nadu - Kerala, India)|State Highway 17]] in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor panchayats of [[Devikulam]] taluk in the [[Idukki district]] of [[Kerala]] state in [[South India]]. It is one of 18 wildlife sanctuaries among the [[protected areas of Kerala]].<ref name="KFWD">{{cite web|url=http://www.keralaforest.gov.in/html/wildlife/sanct.htm |title=The Sanctuaries and National Parks in Kerala |last=Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department |year=2004 |publisher=Govt. of Kerala |access-date=2009-01-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204054850/http://www.keralaforest.gov.in/html/wildlife/sanct.htm |archive-date=4 December 2008}}</ref>

It has earned the name for being the only rehabilitation centre for the [[Indian star tortoise]] in India.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/chinnar-wildlife-sanctuary-hitches-wagon-to-star-tortoises/article18410581.ece |title=Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary hitches wagon to star tortoises |last=Pereira|first=I. |date=2017 |newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=2018-04-17}}</ref>

It is under the jurisdiction of and contiguous with [[Eravikulam National Park]] to the south. [[Indira Gandhi National Park|Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary]] is to the north and [[Palani Hills National Park|Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary]] is to the east. It forms an integral part of the {{convert|1187|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} block of protected forests straddling the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in the [[Anaimalai Hills]].<ref name="ATREE"/> The [[Western Ghats]], Anamalai Sub-Cluster, including all of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, is under consideration by the [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Committee for selection as a [[World Heritage Site]].<ref name="UNESCO" >UNESCO, World Heritage sites, Tentative lists, Western Ghats sub cluster, Niligiris. retrieved 4/20/2007 [https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/2103/]</ref>

== Geography ==
CWS is located between latitude 10º15' - 10º21' N and longitude 77º5' - 77º16' E.
<ref>Centre for Environment & Development (2004) Forest Fire Forecasting in Western Ghats, India [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929002804/http://www.cedprojects.com/FF_Chinnar.htm Chinnar wildlife sanctuary]</ref>
The [[Munnar]] – [[Udumalaipettai|Udumalpet]] road [[State Highway 17 (Tamil Nadu - Kerala, India)|SH 17]] passes through the sanctuary for 16 km and divides it into nearly equal portions. Average annual rainfall is only 500 mm, spread over about 48 days, because it is in the [[rain shadow]] region of the southern [[Western Ghats]].<ref name="ATREE">{{cite web|url=http://www.ecoinfoindia.org/lldb_chinnar_ws.php|title=Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary|last=Eco-Informatics Centre|first=Conservation Database|publisher=[[ATREE]]|access-date=2009-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906183645/http://www.ecoinfoindia.org/lldb_chinnar_ws.php|archive-date=2009-09-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The altitude ranges from {{convert|400|m|ft|sp=us}} at east end of the [[Chinnar River]] to {{convert|2522|m|ft|sp=us}} at [[Kumarikkal Mala]] peak. Other major peaks in the sanctuary are Nandala Malai {{convert|2372|m|ft|sp=us}}, Kottakombu malai ({{convert|2144|m|ft|sp=us}}), Vellaikal malai ({{convert|1863|m|ft|sp=us}}) and Viriyoottu malai {{convert|1845|m|ft|sp=us}}. In contrast, [[Anamudi]] peak {{convert|2695|m|ft|0}}, located {{convert|23|km|mi|sp=us}} away in the adjacent Eravikulam National Park, is the highest peak in South India.

The Chinnar and [[Pambar River (Kerala)|Pambar]] rivers are the major perennial water resources in the sanctuary. The Chinnar originates near Kumarikal Malai, follows the interstate boundary along the northwest edge of the sanctuary for 18 km and becomes the [[Amaravati River]] in Tamil Nadu.

The Pambar River originates in the Anaimudi Hills and is joined by seasonal rivulets and a few perennial streams originating from [[shola]]s in the upper reaches. It traverses the Turner’s Valley in Eravikulam National Park and flows down into the sanctuary through the Taliar Valley between [[Kanthalloor]] and [[Marayoor]] villages and eastwards through the sanctuary. It joins the Chinnar River at Koottar. The Thoovanam water falls lie deep within the sanctuary on the Pambar River. This cascade is a major tourist attraction. The Chinnar, Pambar, [[Kabini River|Kabani]] and [[Bhavani]] are the only rivers of the [[List of rivers in Kerala|44 in Kerala]] that flow eastwards.

== Settlements and crops ==
There are 11 tribal settlements inside the Chinnar WLS, each is well demarcated by temporary stone walls. The main inhabitants are [[Muthuvan|Muthuvas]] and [[Pulayar]]s. Cultivation of [[maize]], [[Finger millet|ragi]] and [[lemongrass]] is practiced in the settlements. The Mudhuvas carry out small scale [[Cannabis|ganja]] cultivation for their religious purposes.<ref>CED [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929002804/http://www.cedprojects.com/FF_Chinnar.htm Chinnar wildlife sanctuary]</ref>

== Fauna ==
[[File:White bison by N A Nazeer.jpg|thumb|[[Albino gaur]] or ''Manjampatti white bison''. Albino gaur are very rare; this photograph was taken in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.]]
The sanctuary's fauna comprises:<ref name=chinnar_biodiversity/>
*28 mammal species, including [[Indian leopard]] and [[spotted deer]], [[Indian elephant]], [[gaur]], [[Bengal tiger]], [[sambar deer]], [[common langur]], [[bonnet macaque]], [[gray langur]], [[Nilgiri tahr]], [[rusty-spotted cat]] and [[grizzled giant squirrel]];
*225 bird species including [[yellow-throated bulbul]];
*52 reptile species including 29 species of snakes, [[Indian star tortoise]] and the largest population of [[mugger crocodile]]s in Kerala;
*14 fish species observed in the Chinnar and Pambar rivers include [[Garra mullya]], [[Barilius gatensis|river-carp baril]], [[giant danio]] and the endangered hill stream game fish [[Tor khudree|Deccan mahseer]];
*15 amphibian species;
*156 species of [[butterflies]].
In 2016, 101 species of [[spiders]] were reported.<ref>{{Cite journal|first=C. K.|last=Adarsh|first2=P. O.|last2=Nameer|date=2016 |title=A preliminary checklist of spiders (Araneae: Arachnida) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, India|url=http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/2740/3622|journal=Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=8703–8713 |doi=10.11609/jott.2740.8.4.8703-8713|doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Flora ==
[[File:chinnar.jpg|thumb|View of Chinnar montane rain forest]]
There are 963 species of flowering plants in the sanctuary.<ref name=chinnar_biodiversity>{{Cite web |url=http://www.forest.kerala.gov.in/images/managementplan/chinnar/6.annexures.pdf |title=Annexure - 4-10: Flora and Fauna Of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary|author=The Kerala Forest Department|date=2012|publisher=Government of Kerala |pages=140-182|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307142152/http://www.forest.kerala.gov.in/images/managementplan/chinnar/6.annexures.pdf|archive-date=2018-03-07|access-date=2018-03-07}}</ref>
[[Ecoregion]]s of the sanctuary comprise mostly [[grassland]] and [[flooded grasslands and savannas|wet grassland]]s vegetation and some [[South Western Ghats montane rain forests]] and high [[shola]] at the higher western elevations. [[South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests]] at mid elevations give way to [[dry deciduous forest]]s and [[Deccan thorn scrub forests|thorny scrub forest]]s in the lower dryer eastern edges of the valley. The major [[xerophytic]]species in the thorny scrub forests are ''[[Acacia arabica]]'', ''Acacia leucofolia'', ''[[Acacia concinna]]'', ''Prosporis juliflora'', and ''[[Opuntia stricta]]''.<ref name="Chinnar">{{cite web|url=http://www.chinnar.org/html/managementplan.htm|title=Management Plan (2002-2011)|last=Department of Forests and Wildlife|work=Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary|publisher=Government of Kerala|access-date=2009-01-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212112058/http://chinnar.org/html/managementplan.htm|archive-date=2009-02-12|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Marayoor [[sandalwood]] forest is located here.<ref>keralatourism.org, [http://www.keralatourism.org/index.php?source=desti&zone=1&destid=358 Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary]</ref>

== Regional Cooperation ==
Senior officials of the [[Ministry of Environment and Forests (India)]], [[Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (India)|Principal Chief Conservators of Forests]] of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, together with other senior forest officials of these states and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, met at Thiruvananthapuram on 3 and 4 November 2006 and resolved several mutual issues concerning conservation and protection of forests and wildlife of the region.

A regular conference of the forest ministers and forest officials of the southern states is held once a year, in rotation in each state.<ref>CONFERENCE OF THE FOREST MINISTERS
OF SOUTHERN STATES, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 3 – 4 November 2006 [http://www.keralaforest.org/RESOLUTIONp.pdf Forest Ministers Resolution]</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.JPG|Information board at Chinnar Checkpost
Image:Chinnarwatchtower.jpg|Chinnar Watchtower
Image:Pambar.jpg|River Pambar
File:Flora and fauna of Chinnar WLS IMG 6790.jpg|Thoovanam Waterfalls
Image:Chinnar Forest Kerala.jpg|Chinnar Forest Kerala
</gallery>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140426232813/http://www.falconsmania.com/2013/05/chinnar-wildlife-sanctuary-and.html Chinnar wildlife sanctuary Hut]
* [http://www.chinnar.org Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary]

{{Protected areas of Kerala}}
{{Tourism in Kerala}}

[[Category:Wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala]]
[[Category:Geography of Idukki district]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1984]]
[[Category:1984 establishments in Kerala]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Idukki district]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Kerala]]

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary - Revision history

1.186.115.98 at 14:36, 11 June 2021