Tamil Nadu launches efforts to protect endangered hornbills, hedgehogs, foxes and more

CHENNAI: The State Forest Department has announced a slew of initiatives to protect several endangered and threatened species of Tamil Nadu including Hornbills, Mahseer fish of Cauvery river, smooth coated otters, Madras Hedgehogs, Bengal Fox and others.

“The Government of Tamil Nadu will launch a ‘Hornbill Conservation Initiative’ to protect the habitat where they thrive. A centre of excellence for hornbill conservation will be set up at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve,” State Forest Minister K Ponmudy announced in the Assembly, on Friday.

As hornbills live in tall trees in forests, the department will identify and protect such trees in forest areas, government and private farms under the initiative. Moreover, the department will implement a project to protect endangered Lion Tailed Macaques, Madras Hedgehogs, Hyenas and Mahseer fish at a cost of Rs 1 crore, which will be spent to protect the habitats, conduct population estimations and to create community awareness.

Ponmudy added that the conservation of Bengal Fox and Jackal is critical to ensure the ecological balance of habitat. A project will be initiated to conserve these species.

“A conservation initiative will be taken up to study the population dynamics, behavioural pattern and habitat improvement of Smooth Coated Otters in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur at a cost of Rs 25 lakh to conserve the species,” the announcement said.

Meanwhile, to protect Olive Ridley turtles that visit TN coast for laying eggs, the department will carry out a telemetry study to identify congregation areas of the turtles at a cost of Rs 84 lakh. The government is already implementing projects to conserve Slender Loris and Dugong.

State finance minister Thangam Thennarasu, during his budget speech, announced that Dhanushkodi will be notified as a Greater Flamingo Sanctuary.

The government will also undertake tree census and assessment of green spaces in six major cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchy, Tirupur and Salem.

Other announcements:

· Community Conservation Leadership Awards will be constituted

· Certificate programme for students on forest conservation, wildlife census and human-animal conflict management

· Marine Elite Force for Chennai Coast

· Wildlife Conservation Incubation Centres in Virudhunagar, Kallakurichi, Ramanathapuram, Nagapattinam, The Nilgiris and Megamalai

· Kurumbapatti zoo in Salem and Amirithi in Vellore to be improved

· Aadhivanam Membattu Thittam to revive degraded forests in outskirts of Chennai, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchy and Coimbatore

· Steel rope fence in the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary in Krishnagiri to mitigate human-elephant conflict

· Guidelines to be simplified to promote cultivation and sale of sandalwood and rosewood