Biligiriranga Swamy Wildlife Sanctuary
Designation	Wildlife Sanctuary
Location	Yelandur, Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, South India
Nearest City	Mysore
Coordinates	11°47′N 77°0′E
Area	540 km&sup2
Date of Establishment	June 27, 1974
Visitation	Unknown
Governing Body	Karnataka Forest Department
IUCN category	Not categorized

The Biligirirangan Hills, commonly called B R Hills, is a hill range situated in south-eastern Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu in South India. The area is a Wildlife Sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1973. Yelandur is a small Taluk in karnataka state consisting of 33 villages. ... Chamarajanagar is a district in southern Karnataka, India, bordering the modern Mysore District, as well as Erode District of Tamil Nadu and Wayanad, in Kerala. ... Karnataka or Karnātakā (ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ in Kannada) is one of the four southern states of India. ... A map of Southern India, its rivers, regions and water bodies. ... Sydney, Australia at Night. ... Mysore is the second largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. ... This article is about longitude and latitude; see also UTM coordinate system Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (vertically) and longitude (horizontally); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which... -1... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Karnataka or Karnātakā (ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ in Kannada) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... A map of Southern India, its rivers, regions and water bodies. ...

Location

The hills are in the Yelandur Taluk of Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. The hills are contiguos with the Satyamangalam range southwards, in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu. It is 90 km from Mysore and 180 km from Bangalore. It is connected by road, one from Yelandur and the other via Chamarajanagar. Yelandur is a small Taluk in karnataka state consisting of 33 villages. ... Chamarajanagar is a district in southern Karnataka, India, bordering the modern Mysore District, as well as Erode District of Tamil Nadu and Wayanad, in Kerala. ... Karnataka or Karnātakā (ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ in Kannada) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Sathyamangalam or Satyamangalam is a town in Tamil Nadu state of southern India. ... For Erode district page see Erode district Erode is a Municipal town in the state of Tamilnadu,India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Mysore is the second largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. ... Bangalore (Kannada: ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು) (pronounced // in Kannada and // in English) is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. ... Yelandur is a small Taluk in karnataka state consisting of 33 villages. ... Chamarajanagar is a district in southern Karnataka, India, bordering the modern Mysore District, as well as Erode District of Tamil Nadu and Wayanad, in Kerala. ...

The hills are located at the easternmost edge of the Western Ghats and support diverse flora and fauna in view of the various habitat types supported. A wildlife sanctuary of 322.4 km² was created around the temple on 27 June 1974, and enlarged to 539.52 km² on 14 January 1987. The sanctuary derives its name “Biligiri” from the white rock face that constitutes the major hill crowned with the temple of Lord Rangaswamy or from the whte mist and the silver clouds that cover these lofty hills for a greater of the year. Enlarge this map of South India to see details about Western Ghats Nelliampathi mountains, Kerala A view from Ponmudi The Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountains (as they are known in the state of Maharashtra) run along the western edge of Indias Deccan Plateau, and separate the plateau from a...

Unique range

The BR hills constitute a live link between the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats facilitating an active exchange of gene pools between them. Thus this sanctuary serves as an important biological bridge for the biota of the entire Deccan plateau. The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains, eroded and cut through by the four major rivers of southern India, the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri. ... Enlarge this map of South India to see details about Western Ghats Nelliampathi mountains, Kerala A view from Ponmudi The Western Ghats or Sahyadri mountains (as they are known in the state of Maharashtra) run along the western edge of Indias Deccan Plateau, and separate the plateau from a...

The BR hills along with the Male-Madeshwara (MM Hills) range forms a distinctly unusual ridge running north-south amidst the plains of Bangalore(~900 m above MSL), Mysore(~600 m above MSL) and Krishnagiri(~450 m above MSL). The peaks of these lofty range rise as high as 1800 m (BR hills 1400 to 1800 m; MM Hills 1000 to 1200 m). The highest hill is Kattari Betta, at 1800 MSL. Various observations point to a possible biogeographic link between BR hills and Niligiri ranges.

Biographically, BRT sanctuary is very uniquely located. Betweeen 11° and 12° N along its north-south running chain. Western Ghats projects itself in a north-easterly direction and meets the splintered hills of the Eastern Ghats at 78° E. This unique extension of Western Ghats constitutes a live bridge between the Eastern and Western Ghats with the sanctuary located almost in the middle of this bridge. Thus, the biota of BRT sanctuary can be expected to be predominantly of Western ghats in nature with significant proportion of eastern elements as well.

Climate and Vegetation

The sanctuary, ~35km long north-south and ~15 km wide east-west is spread over an area of 540 sq. km with a wide variation in mean tempterautre (90°C to 160°C minimum and 20°C to 38°C maximum) and annual rainfall (600 mm at the base and 3000 mm at the top of the hills) The hill ranges, within the sanctuary raise as high as 1200 m above the basal plateau of 600 m and run north-south in two ridges. The wide range of climatic conditions along with the altitude variations within the small area of the sanctuary have translated it into a highly heterogeneous mosaic of habitats such that we find almost all major forest vegetation types – scrub, deciduous, riparian, evergreen, sholas and grasslands. Scrub has a number of meanings: Look up scrub in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off). ... A riparian zone schematic from the Everglades. ... A Silver Fir shoot showing three successive years of retained leaves In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant which retains its leaves year-round, with each leaf persisting for more than 12 months. ... Shola is a type of high-altitude stunted evergreen forest found in southern India. ... An Inner Mongolia Grassland. ...

The forests harbour close to 800 species of plants from various families and shows a close affinity to the Western Ghats. In biology, a species is the basic unit of biodiversity. ... u fuck in ua ... ...

Flora and Fauna

The Biligiris are covered with tropical dry broadleaf forest, part of the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests ecoregion. The forests range from scrub forests at lower elevations, degraded by over-use, to the tall deciduous forests typical of the ecoregion, to stunted shola forests and montane grasslands at the highest elevations, which exceed 1800 meters. The forests form an important wildlife corridor between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, linking the largest populations of Asian Elephants and tigers in southern India. The most conspicuous mammals are the herds of wild elephants. The BR hills is the only forest east of the main Western ghats mountain ranges in the central southern peninsula to harbour these panchyderms in large numbers. The forests were the study area for R. Sukumar, a scientist who studied the elephants of the area in the early eighties. The South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests is an ecoregion of southern India. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Proboscidea is an order including only one extant family, Elephantidae or the elephants, with three species: the Savannah Elephant and Forest Elephant (which were collectively known as the African Elephant), and the Asian Elephant (formerly known as the Indian... Peninsula A peninsula (from Latin paene insula, almost island) is a geographical formation consisting of an extension of land from a larger body, surrounded by water on three sides. ...

The BR hills has been a good place for viewing large game and at the same time encountering numerous smaller life forms. The forests have been famous for the Gaur, a large Asian bovid. There are about 26 species of mammals recorded in the sanctuary. The other mammals include sambhar, chital, barking deer and the rare four-horned antelope. Carnivores include tigers, leopards, wild dogs, lesser cats and sloth bears and among arboreal mammals two species of primates and three species of squirrels including the giant flying squirrel are recorded. A recent (2005) survey of tigers by DNA analysis of scat samples has revealed 17 tigers, although the number may be more. 254 species of birds recorded in the BR hills. Binomial name Bos gaurus H. Smith, 1827 The Gaur (Bos gaurus, previously Bibos gauris) is a large, dark-coated ox of the hilly areas of India and Southeast Asia, which may be found wild or domesticated. ... Subfamilies Bovinae Cephalophinae Hippotraginae Antilopinae Caprinae A bovid is any of almost 140 species of cloven-hoofed mammals belonging to the family Bovidae. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Sambar may refer to: Sambar, a kind of deer Sambar, a lentil-based dish common in South India This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Binomial name Axis axis (Erxleben, 1777) The chital (also spelled cheetal) is a large spotted deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka and most of India. ... Species 10 species, see text Muntjac are deer of the genus Muntiacus, also known as Barking Deer. ... Binomial name Tetracerus quadricornis Blainville, 1816 The Four-horned Antelope (Tetracornis quadricornis or choushinga) is an antelope found in wooded areas in central India. ... Binomial name Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family, one of four big cats that belong to the Panthera genus. ... Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Leopards (Panthera pardus) are one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ... Binomial name Cuon alpinus (Pallas, 1811) The Dhole (Cuon alpinus) is a species of wild dog of the Canidae family. ... Binomial name Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791) The Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus) is a nocturnal bear with shaggy fur which inhabits the lowland forests of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. ... This article is about the biological organisms known as trees. ... Families 15, See classification A primate is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all lemurs, monkeys, apes, and humans. ... Genera Many, see the article Sciuridae. ... Genetic fingerprinting or DNA testing is a technique to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. ... Look up scat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Scat has several meanings: Scat singing, an improvisational vocal technique in jazz, in which nonsensical syllables or words are sung, often as part of a call-and-response interaction with other musicians; see also Ska for Jamaican voice music S.C.A... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ...

Many new species are being discovered in these hills. A recently discovered species includes a microhylid frog Microhyla sholigari.

People and Culture

For hundred of years this region has been the home for the semi-nomadic Soliga tribe. The forest regions of Yelandur, Chamrajanagar and Kollegal, including the hilly tracts and foothills of Biligiri Ranga and Male Mahadeshwara in the southern part of Karnataka, are inhabited by nearly twenty thousand soliga tribal people. The Soligas inhabiting this range were nature worshippers originally, and revere a large Champaka tree (Michelia champaca), called Dodda Sampige in the local language. (See Soliga section for details) The Soliga is an individual member of a tribe that inhabit the Biligirirangan and associated hill ranges in Southern Karnataka, mostly in Chamarajanagar District, bordering the Erode district of Tamil Nadu (a neighbouring state). ... Species about 50; see text Michelia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). ... The Soliga is an individual member of a tribe that inhabit the Biligirirangan and associated hill ranges in Southern Karnataka, mostly in Chamarajanagar District, bordering the Erode district of Tamil Nadu (a neighbouring state). ...

Randolph Hayton Morris, a Scotsman brought coffee into the hills in the latter half of the 19th century. The estate he established at Honnametti was later continued by his son Col. Ralph Morris, a hunter-naturalist, who published prolifically about the Natural history of the hills in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. He left the hills after independence, and the estate is today privately owned. His daughter re-visited the places she grew up in and has written a book, 'Going back'. Among the many reputed guests that Col. Morris had, were the late Dr. Salim Ali, who visited him during the Birds of Mysore survey and the late E P Gee, a naturalist. The estate still preserves the home of the Morrises. Not far from this estate is the Honnametti Kallu, a boulder which gives a metallic clang when struck with a rock. Soliga legend has it that the rock has gold within. Honnametti itself means 'golden footprint' and refers to a legend that the Lord Ranganatha leapt across the hills changing his shape at each step and leaving his footprint on the hills. Colonel Ralph Camroux Morris was a British Army officer and hunter-naturalist. ... The Bombay Natural History Society is the largest organisation engaged in conservation research in the Indian subcontinent. ... Dr. Sálim Ali (full name Dr. Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali), November 12, 1896 - July 27, 1987 was the pre-eminent ornithologist of India. ... Mysore is the second largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. ...

The hills are famous for the temple of Lord Ranganatha. The local form of the deity is called Biligiriranga and is depicted in a unique standing position. The Annual Car festival of the deity is famous in the region and attracts thousands of pilgrims from far and wide. The temple is situated on the 'white cliff' which gives the hill its name. (Also Sri Ranganatha, Ranganathar, Ranga) Ranganatha is a Hindu deity, more well-known in South India. ...

There have been numerous megalithic burial sites that have been discovered from within and in the immediate vicinity of the sanctuary, testifying to the presence of indigenous people in these regions for a long time. Megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany A megalith is a large stone which has been used to construct a structure or monument either alone or with other stones. ...

There are two local NGOs which work for integrated tribal development and biodiversity conservation in the sanctuary. Rainforests are the most biodiverse ecosystem on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of life. ...

Threats

Quarrying in the fringes of the hills is rampant after the brief lull of activities during the time when the dreaded bandit Veerappan was on the run. After his death, the quarrying activities have taken off with renewed vigour with strong political backing. A small cinder quarry A dimension stone quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. ... India Today Cover Koose Muniswamy Veerappan (c. ...

The Forest department and the local NGOs were instrumental in banning disposal of plastic within the sanctuary.

Overgrazing, firewood collection etc. are other threats

References

• Ramesh, B. R. (1989) Flora of BR Hills French Institute of Pondicherry
• Somasundaram, H. N. and Kibe, R. V. (1990) Soliga – the Tribe and its Stride, Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra, BR Hills
• Monica Jackson (1994?) Going back. Banyan Books.
• Srinivasa, T. S., S. Karthikeyan. and J. N. Prasad. (1997) Faunal survey of the Biligirirangan Temple Wildlife Sanctuary. Merlin Nature Club, Bangalore.
• Ganeshaiah, K. N., R. Uma Shaanker and K. S. Bawa. (1998) Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary: Natural history, biodiversity and conservation. ATREE and VGKK, Bangalore
• Aravind, N. A., D. Rao, and P. S. Madhusudan. (2001) Additions to the Birds of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, India. Zoos’ Print Journal 16 (7): 541-547.
• Shyamal, L. (2003) A short trip in the Biligirirangans. Newsletter for Birdwatchers 43(5): 66-67
• Islam, Z. and A. R. Rahmani. (2004) Important Bird Areas in India: Priority areas for conservation. Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, BirdLife International, UK and Oxford University Press ,Mumbai
• Nani, A., L. Shyamal, D. Rajkumar and U. Rajkumar (2004) A checklist of the birds of the BRT Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. <http://www.delhibird.org>
• Srinivasan, U. and Prashanth N.S. (2005): Additions to the Avifauna of the Biligirirangans. Indian Birds. 1(5): 104

French Institute of Pondicherry (Institut Francais de Pondecherry) was established as a result of framework of the Cessation Treaty of French Territories in India, and was officially inaugurated on 20th March 1955. ...

External links

• BR Hills page on [| Wildindiawiki]
• http://www.teriin.org/case/biligiri.htm - An enterprise based approach to conservation: the case of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple wildlife sanctuary
• http://www.teriin.org/biodiv/medicine.htm - Sustainable harvest of medicinal plants: a case study of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary
• http://www.atree.org/ATREE