https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

All About Cauvery South, the 17th Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Government has declared the Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary as the 17th Wildlife Sanctuary of the state It covers reserve forest areas in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts which are home to 35 species of mammals and 238 species of birds and others The state government has sanctioned Rs. 5 crores for improving the areas of the sanctuary
Indian Masterminds Stories

The Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary has become the 17th Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu, after the state government notfied it. The sanctuary covers reserve forest areas in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, and is home to 35 species of mammals, 238 species of birds, Leith’s soft-shelled turtles, smooth coated otters, marsh crocodile and four horned antelopes.

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, IFS officer Karthikeyani, DFO, Hosur Division, shared why the Cauvery South sanctuary is a paradise for wildlife.

CAUVERY SOUTH WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

The sanctuary comprises of the 15 Reserve Forest areas in Anchetty, Urigam and Jawalagiri Ranges in Anchetty Taluk of Krishnagiri District and 5 Reserve Forest areas in Pennagaram and Palacode Ranges in Pennagaram and Palacode Taluks of Dharmapuri District, to an area of 686.406 sq.km.

“It is located between the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in the State of Karnataka. The area has adequate ecological, faunal, and floral significance and needs management as wildlife sanctuary for protecting and conserving wildlife, habitat, and to mitigate human-elephant conflict,” Ms. Karthikeyani said.

She further informed Indian Masterminds that the sanctuary area is a large, contiguous network of protected areas, enabling uniform legal status and protection along both the banks of the river Cauvery for a stretch of over 50 km. This landscape maintains further continuity to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve through Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Billigiri Rangaswamy Forest Division of Tamil Nadu.

ELEPHANT HABITAT

“The sanctuary is an important elephant habitat in Southern India and is critical for a large number of riverine species dependent on river Cauvery. This area forms a unique ecosystem of the Cauvery basin and constitutes the last forested low-lying stretches of the Cauvery River before it enters the Stanley Reservoir,” Ms. Karthikeyani informed.

The area is large and has two important elephant corridors, namely, the Nandimangalam-Ulibanda Corridor and the Kovaipallam–Anebiddahalla Corridor.

RICH IN BIODIVERSITY

It is also rich in biodiversity, with at least 35 species of mammals and 238 species of birds. Some of the animals such as Leith’s Soft-shelled turtles, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Smooth-coated Otter, Marsh Crocodile, Four-horned Antelope, Lesser Fish Eagle etc., are almost exclusively dependent on the Cauvery River and its riverine forest ecosystem. They are also red-listed and are in urgent need of focused conservation efforts and protection of their habitat.

“The sanctuary is also a successful tiger conservation progect, as the adjacent contiguous areas such as Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and Banerghatta National Park in Karnataka have created a spill over effect and tigers have now begun to occupy these traditional ranges where they had been locally extinct for a few decades,” Ms. Karthikeyani said.

The forest areas of this sanctuary are part of the same landscape, and enhanced protection and habitat improvement have led to recovery of prey base and the area can now support tigers once again, as it had in the past. It also supports the conservation of leopard and other red-listed large carnivores.

GOVERNMENT SANCTION

Further, for the preparation of the detailed project proposal for improving the sanctuary, the Government of Tamil Nadu has sanctioned Rs. 5 crores.

“The creation of the sanctuary will make available grants from the state and centrally sponsored schemes for all kinds of recurring and non-recurring expenses, including creation of waterholes for providing water facilities to wild animals, establishment of anti-poaching camps, capacity building, arms and ammunitions, creation of barriers and maintenance in the sanctuary area. All this can be used to protect the forests and wildlife for a better and long-term conservation process,” Ms. Karthikeyani said.

She further shared that although people have an apprehension that because of the sanctuary notification, they will now get evicted outside, this is a miscommunication and a fake apprehension.

“The sanctuary has been notified only for enhancing the protection of the wildlife inside the forest and to increase the fund flow of habitat management. It will help the people in the end,” Ms. Karthikeyani concluded.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT