BENGALURU: If the world-famous wildlife reserve of Masai Mara evokes awe with its rolling Savannahs and Great Wildebeest Migration, then Karnataka’s own restored grasslands in Bhadra Tiger Reserve trigger the same evocative response in a visitor. Known as hadlus, these moist restored grasslands are now resplendent with the sightings of gaurs, spotted deer, sambar and many other species.
This habitat, which was wrecked with the invasion of lantana, eupatorium and other exotic foreign weeds, is being restored after two years of backbreaking work by hundreds of forest field staff. In all, 300 hectares of grasslands have been restored, and visitors say they are a sight to behold, with verdant hills in the backdrop.
It was in 2002, when enclosures spread over 500 hectares inside the tiger reserve were cleared of human presence. For many decades, 431 families lived in these enclosures and reaped paddy in the fertile grasslands. They included 98 families from Hipla village, 60 from Kesava in Muthodi range, and 159 from Madla village in Hebbe range. But after decades of efforts by NGOs, they voluntarily gave up their rights and shifted to a new location, to begin a new life.
These lands were left to nature, to recoup and recover. However, to the dismay of forest officials, the past 4-5 years saw the destructive advent of exotic weeds and even spiders spinning their webs all over the recovered lands. The weeds also disturbed the natural grass growing capability of the hadlus. For wildlife, survival itself became a question mark, with many species shunning these regions.
Drawing up a new strategy to overcome the spread of these invasive weeds, the state forest department started restoration work in 2019. For forest staff, it was a tough job as they had to manually uproot lakhs of weeds during the monsoons. Continuous deweeding efforts paid dividends as they were able to clear 70-90 per cent of the weeds from these swampy regions. In the second year itself, elephants, gaurs, leopards, sambar, spotted deer and other species were sighted in the restored hadlus of Bhadra.
As per the Bhadra Tiger Reserve Management Plan, then director Takath Singh Ranawat and Chikkamagaluru Conservator of Forests Sunil Panwar initiated the process with allocation of funds from the Tiger Conservation Foundation Fund and NTCA. Two years of efforts have shown very good results, with fast recovery of grasslands and frequent sightings of herbivores in the recovered lands.
Lokesh Bilavala, Muthodi range forest officer, said, “With the clearance of almost 90 per cent of lantana and other invasive species on 200 hectares of land in our range, we have been able to recover fast. Our field staff worked tirelessly to achieve this. One advantage here was after the deweeding process, the grass is rejuvenated naturally. And for the past month, since rain started, the entire region has turned into a green carpet.” The restoration work is a continuing process, and work has to be taken up as these species invade grasslands repeatedly, add range officials. “If we don’t carry out maintenance, they will be back with avengeance.”
In adjoining Hebbe Range, 159 families used to grow paddy in the four villages of Madla. But with their relocation in 2002, the lands were abandoned, and invaded by lantana and eupatorium. Hebbe range forest officer Kiran says they started deweeding four years ago. “We have cleared 70 per cent of the weeds, and the rest will take another few years to eradicate. Uprooting has to be done in such a way that no seeds are dispersed, as they may take root again in the monsoons.”
Range officials are happy with the restoration, and sightings of many grassland species. After grass began to appear in May-June, nearly 500 spotted deer, 15 groups of sambar (2-4, 6-8 per group) and 15-16 gaurs have been sighted and recorded in Hebbe Range. With the increase in prey density (herbivorous species), sightings of tigers and leopards are clear and visible in these verdant grasslands.
However, field staff are on their toes, maintaining vigil so that lantana and other weeds do not proliferate again in the natural grassland habitat. Plans are afoot to clear and recover the remaining grassland ecosystem on 200 hectares of Bhadra. Effective work at the ground level can maintain these grasslands, and turn them into a role models for other reserves.
RELOCATING FOREST FOLK
Voluntary relocation of people from core areas of Bhadra, that was notified as a tiger reserve in 1998, is considered a milestone in the human resettlement programme. Dr Ullas Karanth, noted wildlife biologist, and D V Girish, wildlife conservationist, were instrumental in assisting the forest department to relocate 430-odd households from Bhadra.
HOME TO
30 Tigers (approx)
300 species of birds
Asiatic elephants, leopards, gaurs, slender loris, sloth bear, pangolin, other species
Spread 500sqkm
500 hectares in two ranges -- Muthodi and Hebbe
Hadlus (in Kannada) are natural moist grasslands