Tamil Nadu to Open Hornbill Conservation Centre in Anamalai Tiger Reserve

Quick Summary

• tamil Nadu government to establish India’s first Center of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore district.
• hornbills, known as “farmers of the forest,” play an ecological role as seed dispersers but face threats from deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate change.
• ₹1 crore sanctioned under the Endangered Species Conservation Corpus Fund for hornbill conservation efforts.
• Focus will be on four hornbill species: Great Hornbill, Malabar gray Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, and Indian Grey Hornbill. Initiatives include habitat mapping, nest monitoring, research on climate impacts, and restoration of degraded forest areas by planting native trees.
• Anamalai Tiger Reserve chosen for its richness in biodiversity and existing conservation infrastructure; it already protects several endangered species like tigers and elephants.
• Community participation emphasized through nest adoption programs, scholarships for students, lasting livelihoods (e.g., seed collection), awareness activities like field visits for children and outreach programs.
• Collaborations with prominent organizations such as Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History and Wildlife Institute of India planned to enhance project impact.
• Additional conservation activities are proposed in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), parts of Kanyakumari district involving geotagging of trees and community-based initiatives.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The establishment of India’s first Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation marks a forward-looking step toward safeguarding critical ecological processes essential to maintaining biodiversity in India’s Western Ghats region. The project’s dual focus-scientific research combined with community involvement-suggests thoughtful planning aimed at addressing both environmental challenges like deforestation/climate change impacts while fostering public stewardship in conservation efforts.

Moreover, creating partnerships with reputed national/international organizations can bring valuable expertise to ensure effective execution while potentially advancing broader global conversations around preserving keystone species like hornbills-whose decline could significantly impact forest ecosystems.Such initiatives may also act as templates encouraging similar regional approaches across India’s biologically sensitive areas where communities & wildlife intersect; however consistent funding sustainability would perhaps remain vital long-term requisite beyond initial corpus provided here.

Read more: Published – July 22 2025