In Frames | In Mudumalai, a problem of plenty
The Hindu
The unusually wet weather last year meant that flowers bloomed early in the reserve and the wildlife had plenty to eat, but there could be some negative impact too
The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, part of the Niligiris Biosphere Reserve, shares a border with the Bandipur, Wayanad and Sathyamangalam tiger reserves. In 2022, the Nilgiris witnessed one of the wettest years recorded in the past 64 years: the number of rainy days were also more, according to the Nilgiris District Disaster Management Department.
Officials of the Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (IISWC-ICAR) said that between June and August, the average rainfall in the past 64 years had been about 740 millimetres. However, in 2022, 1,080 mm was recorded in the district during the period.
Due to the prolonged rain, many flowering species have started to bloom early, say botanists. Some species have not shed their leaves.
The rain has helped a lot in increasing the water table. It has kept forest fires at bay. Many wild animals have started to breed due to the plentiful fodder for the herbivores and prey for the carnivores. Birds have started nesting too.
Since it has been raining all through the usual winter months, and there were some showers even in January, the Mudumalai reserve did not experience a real winter this time.
S. Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, a conservation NGO, said such rainfall could impact the critically endangered species such as vultures. “Usually, August is a dry month preceding the mating and nesting season of the critically endangered species of vultures, which rely on hot-air currents to fly long distances in search of food. It remains to be seen how such rainfall will affect the breeding seasons of the birds,” he said.
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