KARUR: The decade-long wait of the public of Karur for a wildlife sanctuary for slender loris has come to an end as the Tamil Nadu government has declared Kadavur forest region in the district as the first sanctuary in the country for the endangered species. The Kadavur mountain range and nearby forest areas are home to thousands of these nocturnal primates.
The State Department of Environment, Climate and Forest on Wednesday notified the ‘Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary’ spread across an area of 11,806.56 hectares covering seven forest blocks in the districts of Karur and Dindigul under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. The decision comes after numerous studies and research by ecologists and wildlife experts showed threat to the species due to habitat loss.
Around 4,000 grey slender lorises, including indirect and direct sighting of 1,172 lorises, were found in a census carried out by experts from the Salim Ali Centre of Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), ecologists, and State officials in February this year, sources said. Ashisha K, research scholar, Animal Behavior and Ecology, NIAS, told TNIE, "India is home to two nocturnal primates --- slender loris and slow loris. While slow loris inhabits northeastern states of India, slender loris is mainly found in southern states. India has two known subspecies of grey slender loris (Loris lydekkerianus)."
"While Malabar slender loris is predominantly found in the western slopes of the Western Ghats, Mysore slender loris is abundant in discontinuous patches of the Eastern Ghats. Based on studies, their population is found to be more abundant in the Eastern Ghats, fragments of south-central districts of Dindigul and Karur. Slender lorises (called 'thevangu' in Tamil) are nocturnal, shy and predominantly insectivorous animals. They are also highly arboreal and require high canopy connectivity for their basic requirement," Ashisha said. Happy over the announcement, Palanisamy, a villager from Kadavur, said,
"We have been demanding the government for a sanctuary for slender lorises for more than 10 years. These small creatures are the identity of our village. With the notification of the sanctuary for these animals, which are part of our lives, our village has got national fame." The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has already started preparatory work for setting up the sanctuary.
Karur District Forest Officer (DFO) Saravanan said a proposal has been sent to the State government seeking Rs 2.5 crore for building watchtowers, sanctuary entrance, installing caution signboards and for marking boundaries of the 11,806-hectare sanctuary.
"Since the reserve forest has been declared as sanctuary, there will not be any fines or warnings and trespassers and miscreants will be remanded directly. Strategic and vulnerable locations have been identified near the sanctuary where speed warning signboards and speed breakers will be installed to prevent lorises from being hit by speeding vehicles," he said.
About Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary
Districts covered - Karur & Dindigul
Total area - 11,806 hectares
Area in Karur - 5,700.18 hectares
Area in Dindigul - 6.106.38 hectares
Total forest blocks - 7
Census on February - 1,172 (direct sightings)