EzraDrago8750 at 21:14, 22 February 2026

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{{Short description|Wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox Protected area
| name = Grizzled Squirrel<br />Wildlife Sanctuary
| image = Giant-squirrel.jpg
| map = India Tamil Nadu#India
| relief = 1
| mapframe = Yes
| iucn_category = IV
| mapframe-zoom = 9
| location = [[Virudhunagar district|Virudhunagar]], [[Madurai]] and [[Theni district]]s
| nearest_city = [[Madurai]]
| coordinates = {{coords|9|34|30|N|77|33|30|E|display=inline, title}}
| area = {{convert|480|km2|sqmi}}
| established = December 1989
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body = [[Tamil Nadu Forest Department]]
| url = http://www.forests.tn.nic.in/WildBiodiversity/ws_sgsws.html
}}
The '''Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary''' ('''GSWS'''), also known as '''Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary''', was established in 1988 to protect the [[Near-threatened species|Near threatened]] [[grizzled giant squirrel]] (''Ratufa macroura''). Occupying an area of 485.2 km<sup>2</sup>, it is bordered on the southwest by the [[Periyar Tiger Reserve]] and is one of the best preserved forests south of the [[Palghat Gap]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary |url=http://www.ecoinfoindia.org/lldb_sggs_ws.php|publisher=Eco-Informatics Centre|access-date=8 March 2013}}</ref>

The sanctuary covers {{cvt|485|km2}} in western [[Tamil Nadu]], [[South India]] in the eastern water-shed of the [[Western Ghats]] and consists of high hills and valleys, with a number of peaks reaching up to {{cvt|2019|m}}.<ref name="SRIVILLIPUTHUR">{{cite web|url=http://www.forests.tn.nic.in/WildBiodiversity/ws_sgsws.html|title=Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary|year=2007|work=Wild Biodiversity|publisher=TamilNadu Forest Department|access-date=2009-03-23 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409230945/http://www.forests.tn.nic.in/WildBiodiversity/ws_sgsws.html|archive-date=2009-04-09}}</ref>

==Geography==
The Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary is located from 9° 21' to 9° 48' N and 77°21' to 77°46' E. The sanctuary lies mostly in [[Virudhunagar district]] especially in Srivilliputtur and partly in [[Madurai district]]. The sanctuary is bounded to the north by the [[Andipatti]] hills, south by [[Tirunelveli District]], east by [[Srivilliputhur]] and [[Rajapalayam]] towns and west by [[Theni]] town and [[Theni District]]. It is the eastern boundary of the [[Periyar river]] watershed. This sanctuary is contiguous to [[Periyar Tiger Reserve]] on the south western side and the [[Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary#Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary|Megamalai Reserve Forest]] on the north western side and Its southern limit is contiguous with the [[Sivagiri, Tirunelveli|Sivagiri]] Reserved Forest of Tirunelveli Forest Division.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
The elevation ranges from {{cvt|100|m}} in the plains and rises to the highest peak, [[Kottamala]], at {{cvt|2019|m}}. Average annual rainfall is {{cvt|849.1|mm}} and varies between {{cvt|800|and|2300|mm}} in different areas of the sanctuary. Water sources for the sanctuary are the Kallar and [[Mullaperiyar Dam]]s and the [[Periyar (river)|Periyar]], Naragaiar, Pachaiar, Mangar, Kovilar and Pairakudraiar rivers.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
The underlying rock throughout the area is [[granitoid]] [[gneiss]] formation. The lowest altitudes have a mixture of [[quartz]] and [[quartzite]].{{cn|date=October 2024}}

==Fauna==
In addition to grizzled giant squirrels, other animals seen here are [[Bengal tiger]], [[bonnet macaque]], [[common langur]], [[Indian elephant|elephants]], [[flying squirrel]]s, [[gaur]], [[Indian giant squirrel]], [[leopard]], [[lion-tailed macaque]]s, [[mouse deer]], [[Nilgiri langur]], [[Nilgiri Tahr]]s, [[Jerdon's palm civet|palm civet]]s, [[porcupine]], [[sambar (deer)|sambar]], [[Gray slender loris|slender loris]], [[sloth bear]], [[spotted deer]], [[tree shrews]], [[wild boar]] and [[wild cat]]s.

Resident and migrating elephants are common. The wildlife census in 2002 counted 156 elephants. There were more grizzled giant squirrels sighted in 2009 than in 2008. In 2008, a group of 30 [[lion-tailed macaques]] were sighted during the annual census, but in the 2009 census more than 45 lion-tailed macaques, including a sizeable number of young macaques, were sighted in a single group between Nagariyar and Periyakavu patch. [[Nilgiri Tahr]] have been sighted in the entire division starting from [[Kottamala]] in [[Rajapalayam]] to Perumal Malai in [[Sathuragiri Hills]] near [[Watrap|Sundara Mahalingam temple]] in Saptoor. A [[Bengal tiger|tiger]] was also seen in Sathuragiri during the 2009 census.<ref name="Oppili">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/23/stories/2009032358970500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327025116/http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/23/stories/2009032358970500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 March 2009|title=Wildlife numbers up in Srivilliputhur sanctuary|last=Oppili|first=P. |date= 23 March 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=2009-03-23}}</ref> In recent years there has been a significant increase in the population of the tahrs with the census in 2011 putting their numbers at 220 individuals.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nilgiri Tahr population goes up in Srivilliputhur sanctuary|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/nilgiri-tahr-population-goes-up-in-srivilliputhur-sanctuary/article2132523.ece|access-date=8 March 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=25 June 2011}}</ref>

Recognised as an [[Important Bird Area]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Joshua|first=J.|title=Indian Bird Conservation Network|year=2004|publisher=Bombay Natural History Society and Birdlife International, UK|pages=964–983}}</ref> over 275 species of birds are seen in this sanctuary including 14 species of birds endemic to the [[Western Ghats]], such as the [[critically endangered]] [[Indian white-rumped vulture|Oriental white-backed vulture]] and the [[long-billed vulture]], [[vulnerable species]] [[Nilgiri wood-pigeon]], [[Broad-tailed grassbird|broad-tailed grass warbler]], [[red-faced malkoha]] and the [[white-bellied shortwing]] (''Brachypteryx major'') and [[near threatened]] species like the [[great pied hornbill]], [[Nilgiri pipit]], [[black-and-orange flycatcher]] and the [[Nilgiri flycatcher]]. The [[Malayan night heron]] is of lesser concern. The primary raptors here are the [[South Nicobar serpent-eagle|serpent eagle]], [[hawk]]s and [[black eagle]]. A bird survey in 2013 observed in the sanctuary rare endemic species including [[Sri Lankan frogmouth]], mountain and [[rufous-bellied hawk-eagle]]s, [[Great Indian hornbill|great Indian]] and [[Malabar pied hornbill]]s, [[Mountain pigeon|mountain]] and [[green imperial pigeon]]s which are all species found only in the higher altitudes of Western Ghats. Some of the rare migratory birds spotted included the [[steppe eagle]], [[Eurasian sparrowhawk]] and [[Blue-capped rock thrush|bluecapped rockthrush]].<ref>{{cite news|title=20 species of rare birds spotted in squirrel sanctuary|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/20-species-of-rare-birds-spotted-in-squirrel-sanctuary/article4416062.ece|access-date=8 March 2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=15 February 2013}}</ref>

The sanctuary has numerous [[reptile]]s including [[king cobra]]s, [[Python molurus|Indian rock python]] and many endemic species namely [[Trimeresurus|pit vipers]], [[Chrysopelea ornata|ornate flying snake]], ''[[Draco (genus)|Draco]]'' or gliding lizard, [[Calotes grandisquamis|large-scaled calotes]] and ''[[Monilesaurus ellioti]]'' and [[amphibian]]s including endemic ones like ''[[Micrixalus]]'', ''[[Indirana]]'', ''[[Nyctibatrachus]]'', ''[[Ramanella]]'', ''[[Rhacophorus malabaricus]]'', ''[[Raorchestes]]'' and ''[[Pseudophilautus]]''.

There are over 220 species of [[butterflies]] documented in the sanctuary including many rare and endemic species. Some of the rare butterflies spotted here include [[Evershed's ace]], [[silver royal]], [[orange awlet]], and [[Hampson's hedge blue]].<ref name="SRIVILLIPUTHUR"/><ref name="ATREE">{{cite web|url=http://www.ecoinfoindia.org/lldb_sggs_ws.php|title=Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary|work=Eco-Informatic Database|publisher=ATREE|access-date=2009-03-23}}</ref>

==Flora==
The sanctuary is a mix of [[tropical evergreen forest]]s and [[East Deccan dry evergreen forests]]s of {{cvt|69.32|km2}}, [[dry deciduous forest]]s and [[South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests]] of {{cvt|51.66|km2}}), [[grassland]] of {{cvt|152.18|km2}} and cultivated land of {{cvt|121.07|km2}}. The sanctuary includes a Medicinal Plant Conservation Area at Thaniparai.<ref name=SRIVILLIPUTHUR/> 69 plant species belonging to 58 taxa and 42 families are used by the [[Paliyan]] tribal people, living in the sanctuary, to treat 15 ailments.<ref name=Muthukumarasamy>{{cite journal |last= Muthukumarasamy |first=S.|author2=Mohan, V. R. |author3=Kumaresan, S. |title=Medico-ethnobotany of Palliyar tribe in grizzled giant squirrel wildlife sanctuary, Srivilliputhur, Western Ghats, India |journal=Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences |pages= |issue=}}</ref>

==Conservation==
The conservation problems affecting the sanctuary are human-elephant conflict, human encroachment, cattle grazing and forest fire. Within the sanctuary, there are 7 to 10 temples which attract thousands of pilgrims every year. [[Water scarcity]] is a major problem during dry season due to lack of perennial water source.

Measures have been taken to conserve the wildlife in the sanctuary. The entry of cattle into the sanctuary is prevented, particularly in Kottamalai and Watrap. Leases for collection of fruits and minor forest produce have been stopped to increase the food sources. Tree planting, [[soil conservation]] and water harvesting have been undertaken to improve the habitat.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shenbagathopu Grizelled Squirrel Sanctuary|url=http://virudhunagar.nic.in/forest.htm|work=Viruthunagar district Administration|publisher=virudhunagar.nic.in|access-date=7 January 2012}}</ref> The possibility of an elephant [[Wildlife corridor|corridor]] could be studied by tracking elephants using [[Tracking collar|radio collars]].<ref>[http://www.asiannature.org/srivilliputhur.html Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927190331/http://www.asiannature.org/srivilliputhur.html |date=2007-09-27 }} Asian Nature Conservation Foundation, Retrieved 5/12/2007</ref>

==Accessibility==
The sanctuary is 45 km away from [[Virudhunagar]] town and about 75–80 km away from [[Madurai]] city. [[Srivilliputtur railway station]] is situated 5 km way from the sanctuary. Forest rest houses are available at [[Mudungiar]], [[Pudupatti, Virudhunagar|Pudupatti]] and [[Mudaliaroothu]]. There are many private lodges near the sanctuary.<ref>[http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/wildlife/SanctuariesParks/SGSVirudhunagar.aspx?catid=C5&subcat1id=C5S1&subcat2id=C5S1S6&sm=C5S1S6 Srivilliputhur Sanctuaries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105130042/http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/wildlife/SanctuariesParks/SGSVirudhunagar.aspx?catid=C5&subcat1id=C5S1&subcat2id=C5S1S6&sm=C5S1S6 |date=2007-01-05 }} Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation and Department of Tourism, Retrieved 5/12/2007</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/10/30/stories/2006103000180300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023154255/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/10/30/stories/2006103000180300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 October 2012|access-date=7 January 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=30 October 2006}}</ref>

There are no roads inside the sanctuary and hence visitors must cover it on foot. Guides are available on request from the sanctuary office to accompany tourists on treks.

==See also==
*[[Srivilliputhur]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Protected areas of Tamil Nadu}}
{{Western Ghats}}

[[Category:Wildlife sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:1988 establishments in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1988]]

Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary - Revision history

EzraDrago8750 at 21:14, 22 February 2026