Elephant Corridor Links between Mukkurthy N.P and Bhavani River Valley

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was notified in 1986 its first of kind in India. Nilgiri Biosphere and adjacent forest areas support a population of about 5000 elephants (Elephas maximus) in Southern India. There are six elephant corridors in Coimbatore forest division. Long distance travel during seasonal movement offers clear ecological advantages to elephants. Availability of food, water, barriers to free movement, spatial distribution, and diversity in habitat types may influence the home range size. Though elephants have no seasonally distinct ranges, they move widely to find food patches that are sufficiently rich with habitat resources to support them. The more diverse a region, the smaller could be the home range since elephants would be able to meet their varied seasonal requirements within a relatively restricted area. The influx of elephant population in to the Coimbatore Forest Division occurs mainly during the post-monsoon and dry season periods. Elephant population from Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Nilgiri North and South Forest Division intensifies for a period of 3-4 months at a density of 1.5 elephants per s.q km.