Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary : Survey
A four-day faunal survey conducted at the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary has added significant findings to the sanctuary’s biodiversity records.
- It is located in the southern part of the Western Ghats in the Kollam district of Kerala.
- It spans an area of approximately 172 sq.km. and forms part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
- Most of the Sanctuary area is hilly and interspersed with ravines.
- The major rivers are Shendurney, Kazhuthuruthy, and Kulathupuzha, which join together to form the Kallada River
- The vegetation primarily consists of tropical evergreen forests, semi-evergreen forests, and moist deciduous forests.
- The name “Shendurney” is derived from the name of a tree species, Gluta travancorica, locally known as ‘Chenkurunji’, which is endemic to this region and found in abundance within the sanctuary.
- Notable mammals include elephants, tigers, leopards, gaurs (Indian bison), sambar deer, barking deer, wild boars, and bonnet macaques.
- The sanctuary also supports a significant population of Nilgiri langurs and lion-tailed macaques, both of which are endemic to the Western Ghats.
- Over 200 species of birds are recorded in the sanctuary. Some of the notable species include the great Indian hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, grey-headed bulbul, white-bellied treepie, and various species of woodpeckers, flycatchers, and raptors.
