A global biodiversity hotspot that encompasses several Tiger Reserves, Elephant Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, and comprising a collection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in south India, the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve is paradise on earth. Sprawled over 6000 sq km over three states – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, Nilgiris is host to over thousands of species of flora and fauna, including 132 endemic ones.
It was declared the first Biosphere Reserve of India on September 1, 1986 to conserve the natural diversity of the region, restore degraded ecosystems and provide baseline data for ecological and environmental research and education.
This year, the Government Arts College, Ooty, and Wildlife Trust of India, along a few other organisations, hosted the ‘National Conference on Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve’ commemorating 25 years of its preservation, and to highlight existing threats.
Over the years, the Nilgiris have been a source of inspiration, a place of education and magical experiences for millions. We bring to you a collection of personal histories of individuals who have experienced this magic called Nilgiris.
Silent Valley: A photo-essay journey through Silent Valley National Park
The Toda Buffalos: Working with a nature-loving tribe and their magnificent buffalos
My First Loris: Encoutering the beautiful primate
The Shola: Memories of a unique forest of the Nilgiris
Colours of NBR through the lens of a young photographer
Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.
– Albert Einstein
One of the greatest endeavours in my life was when I spent a year in Silent Valley National Park, Palakkad – one of the richest tropical rainforests in the world, and home to the endangered lion-tailed macaque.
Global warming and the impact of human activity in nature motivated me to capture her best moments through my lens. On a voluntary assignment, with the cooperation of the Forest Department of Kerala, I was part of the silent campaign against a proposed dam across a river flowing through the valley.
I wanted the world to see nature through my eyes, the vibrant colours that were concealed beneath the thick canopies of a rich rainforest reeling under threats from humankind.
The images did speak of the rich biodiversity that nobody had any authority to tamper with. I hoped I could be her messenger and speak of her plight. From over the thousands of pictures I have captured, not one could be singled out or discarded, as each moment had its own story to say.
Here are a few from NP Jayan’s cherished album
An Oriental white-eye – one of the smallest birds of the valley
The Toda Buffalos
By Dr Nixon Armstrong
My first wildlife experience in 1995 began in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, when I participated in a wildlife census in Mudumalai. I was there for four wonderful days. I returned later to volunteer with the BNHS as well as to subsequently complete my doctorate on reptile community ecology.
Much later, in 2009 I was in Coorg studying the decline of jackal populations, when I got a call from my mentor, Dr Rahul Kaul, telling me about a proposed project on buffalos of the Toda tribal community.
I had interacted briefly with the community, which lives in the Upper Nilgiri Plateau, during my stay there, but was told that no comprehensive study had been done on the reasons behind the decline of their buffalos – a domestic breed of Asiatic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Around 1900 buffalos remain and are a large source of income for the community. I read up about the factors behind this: shrinking of pasture land (grasslands) due to the introduction of exotic tree species such as eucalyptus, wattle and pine by the British was the largest cause*, and conflict with tigers in the reserve, whose population was on the rise.
The Todas worship tigers and don’t believe in retaliation even if their buffalo is attacked by the large cat. With tiger sightings becoming more common, the Toda buffalos were increasingly coming under threat. To ensure that their respect and love for the carnivore does not wear off because of the increasing incidences of conflict, we (WTI) collaborated with Dr. Tarun Chhabra, in Edhkwehlynawd Botanical Refuge (EBR) Centre Trust, Ooty, a practicing dentist who has worked on their culture and traditions over two decades.
A buffalo pool was started and maintained by the community. Every family that lost a buffalo in conflict was given a buffalo from the pool. In my time there, four families lost buffalos due to tiger attacks and were given buffalos from the pool. This way, the economy generated from the buffalos didn’t take a hit, and the genetic pool of the buffalos was not compromised.
The Todas are one of the most peaceful and nature-loving communities I have ever come across. I cherish my time there, and am certain that the buffalo pool has helped the community, the genetic pool of the buffalo and the marvelous tigers of the NBR.
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*Plantation of exotics has destroyed large tracts of natural Grasslands. Agriculture was practically absent in the high ranges till the cash crop plantation practice was brought in by the European planters during late 18th century.
I lived in Aralam for a long time and spotted many slender lorises, but will never forget the first time I saw the wonderful primate.
Growing up, my grandparents would talk about the loris they once had as a pet. I read books about lorises and distinctly remember a folktale, where a loris was used on a ship, instead of a compass, because it always sits facing the north!
I read articles and journals about the scientific aspects of the loris, and about it being poached in different parts of the world for its ‘medicinal value’.
I reached Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in the middle of December 2009. It is the northernmost protected area of Kerala state, situated in the southeast part of Kannur District. I spent days hoping to find see a loris, that the forest guards always seem to have just seen. I remember once we heard a long whistling sound – the first of its kind – and a guard in the sanctuary told me it was a loris. It was a long low whistle that I heard for many minutes.
I took a small torch and walked towards the sounds – but in vain. This happened so many times I lost count. On the 13th of January – exactly a month after I reached, I set out of my camp in Valayanchal around 8.30. I know it was 9.15 when I saw my first ever loris. And what a beauty it was! I shined by torch in the direction of the whistle, and the search stopped right when I looked into those eyes. He was eating a worm, or something that looked like one. As soon as he saw the light, he jerked, got up and went up the nearest tree. I took a few pictures, but it was too dark, and within under a minute, he had vanished.
This was the true beginning of my relationship with lorises. After the first one, I saw many and slowly understood how to spot them without disturbing them with my torch. My aim was to protect and conserve the animal, and disturbing it would not serve my purpose.
Lorises are common in all three parts of the sanctuary, except in higher altitudes like in Ambalapara. The sightings are best in the Narikadavu section. All it takes is a little courage, and a little patience.
I am very proud to be among the wildlife researchers and conservationists who have worked in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), the first biosphere reserve in India, established in 1986.
Throughout my childhood, I had never walked through a forest or saw any animals in the wild until I came to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve during my MSc in Wildlife Biology in 1999. The first time I stepped into NBR, I saw a herd of elephants. They were so majestic and seemed so intelligent. This sighting inspired me to involve myself in their conservation. I began to work in the Shola forests and elephant corridors of Nilgiris, Sathyamangalam, Coimbatore and Wayanad, and remained there till 2011.
Even though I began working in different parts of the country after that, my heart still lies in NBR. I remember my first encounter with a charging elephant in Mudumalai, sightings of elephants behind the kitchen at Upper Kargudy, and riding on a bike through a herd of elephants.
While I was doing a survey on the status of shola forests in the Upper Nilgiri Plateau, I travelled through the entire Nilgiri district by scooter and walked in around 180 Shola forest patches. The one that amazed me the most for its beauty and magnetism was Avalanche lake and the nearby grasslands, so named because of a huge avalanche that occurred in the region in early the 1800s.
The Shola grasslands are rich storehouses of biodiversity, including thriving wildlife populations. They have dwarf trees and the vegetation is two-storeyed with closed canopies that hardly permit a single ray of sunlight to penetrate. Sholas are natural sponges and they collect rain water in trunks. They feed thousands of perennial springs, keeping them alive even during the severest of summers downhill.
The satisfaction of contributing to work being done in Nilgiris has been unmatched. But it is not just for researchers. Just gazing at the forests, the mountains, the lakes, the gardens, the flowers and the birds make visiting the region a brilliant experience.
There is more to the Nilgiris than just the famous hill stations Ooty, Kotagiri and Coonoor. There are tree plantations and lush meadows everywhere and you’d want to just roll on, and the Nilgiri mountain railway that covers a distance of about 42 km, chugging historical bridges and curving through tunnels. Also the bungalows and churches – they takes you back to the colonial era.
Unfortunately Shola forests and grass lands are destroyed by encroachment, biotic pressure and the ignorance of their value at an alarming rate. We need to consider that once the Sholas vanish, it will take more than 1000 years for them to form again. We should join together and conserve natural heritage of Nilgiris.
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By Vivek Aditya
A young photographer who has spent much of free time in the Nilgiris, shooting its skies, plants and wildlife shares his striking photos:
Sambar Photo by Vivek Aditya
Common kingfisher Photo by Vivek Aditya
Read about the National Conference on Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
