343 roadkills in 10 months at MTR in Nilgiris, says study

MTR, which is part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is a critical biodiversity hotspot in the Western Ghats covering 688.59 square kilometres.
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NILGIRIS: A team of researchers in a study found that a total of 343 roadkill incidents were reported within 10 months at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Nilgiris.

The study conducted by Arockianathan Samson, Jeyasubashini Regupathikannan, Phillmon Smart Edward, and Nizamudheen Moinudheen in 2016 and published in Iranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics recently, mentioned that of roadkills reported on interstate highways, state highways, and secondary roads, 30% were reptiles, 28% were amphibians, 24% were birds and 18% were mammals.

A Samson, Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre, Bombay Natural History Society, said, “The rapid expansion of roads is turning into a significant challenge to wildlife, particularly in biodiversity hotspots like Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and this study evaluates ecological impact of road expansion on wildlife within MTR.”

“Roadkill leads not only to the direct loss of individual animals but also contributes to broader ecological disruptions, including habitat fragmentation, altered animal behaviour, and decline in vulnerable species. These impacts are particularly severe in biodiversity hotspots where roads intersect with critical wildlife habitats, resulting in frequent and often fatal interactions between animals and vehicles,” added Samson, whose study in 2020 identified the three-striped palm squirrel as one of the most frequent victims of roadkill in the Sigur Plateau within the MTR landscape.

MTR, which is part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is a critical biodiversity hotspot in the Western Ghats covering 688.59 square kilometres. It is contiguous with Bandipur National Park (Karnataka) and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala). The inter-state highway sampling segment is the 16 km stretch from Kekkanhalla to Thorappalli through the reserve forest with more traffic intensity. At Theppakadu, the interstate highway becomes a state highway to Udhagamandalam and beyond via Masinagudi, a small village. The state highway sampling leg was nine kilometres between Theppakadu and Masinagudi. Secondary road sampling was done on the third sector of the eight-kilometre Masinagudi-Moyar road.

R Jeyasubashini, another researcher, said, “50 roadkills were recorded in May and this is the highest record in ten months. The lowest was 25, which was reported in July. Mammal roadkill peaked in April, and bird, reptile, and amphibian roadkill increased in May. Roadkills were higher in the Dry Deciduous Forest (203) than in the Dry Thorn Forest (140). The denser vegetation and higher biodiversity of DDF likely contributed to the highest absolute number of roadkills as more animals are present and are forced to cross the roads more frequently.”

The researchers appealed to the State Forest Department to carry out mitigation measures such as speed restrictions as immediate measures and wildlife crossings as long-term measures.

N Moinudheen, said, “Conservation efforts like wildlife corridors, underpasses, and public awareness campaigns are essential to protect MTR’s biodiversity. By incorporating these strategies into a landscape-level conservation framework and supporting them with continuous monitoring, we can help preserve the ecological integrity of MTR. Such efforts are vital to mitigate the broader impacts of road-induced wildlife mortality in biodiversity-rich areas.”

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