News Excerpt: 

A tense situation prevails on the forest fringes along the Kerala-Karnataka border near the Barapole River in Kannur between locals and the forest department because of land ownership.

• Residents accuse the Makkoottam Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary authorities of uprooting and destroying cassava crops grown by locals recently.

About Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS):

• The BWS is located on the Karnataka-Kerala border, in the Kodagu district of Karnataka.

• It adjoins Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala. 

• It is separated from the Nagarhole National Park by a narrow strip of coffee estates and from the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary by a thick evergreen forest corridor and coffee estates. 

• The region includes the entire forest areas of Brahmagiri Ghat and Urti Reserve Forests and was declared a sanctuary in 1974.  

• River Borapole bifurcates Urti Reserve Forest and Brahmagiri Reserve Forest. 

• It was declared an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) in 2017.

• After the announcement of the ESZ, commercial mining, setting up of pollution-causing industries, major hydroelectric projects, production of hazardous substances, big commercial livestock and poultry, new sawmills, brick kilns and commercial use of firewood will be prohibited.

• The Sanctuary also acts as an important corridor for elephants to move between Rajiv Gandhi National Park and Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka and Wayanad and Aralam Sanctuaries in Kerala.

• The Sanctuary is a catchment for River Cauvery which is an important River of Karnataka. Lakshmanthirtha and Ramathirtha are the tributaries of River Cauvery that originate from Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary and many perennial streams also originate from the Sanctuary.

• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog, Asiatic Elephant, Gaur or Indian Bison, Sambar, Lion Tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur  

• Flora: Consists of evergreen and semi-evergreen forests interspersed with shola grasslands. 

  • On the lower altitudes and slopes, evergreen forests dominate, while on the higher hills, montane sholas and grasslands are found.

About Barapole River:

• It is located in South Kodagu, at a distance of 27 km from Gonikoppal and 78 km from Madikeri.

• It is considered one of the most dangerous spots by rafters. All tourists are given compulsory training before they set off rafting in the waters. 

• The turbulent river flows through the dense forests of Bramhagiri Wildlife Sanctuary.