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{{short description|Elephant reserve in India}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Nilambur Elephant Reserve
| alt_name =
| iucn_category =
| image = Elephant from forest.jpg
| image_alt = Elephants in the forest in Nilambur
| image_caption = Elephants in the forest in Nilambur
| image_size =
| map = India Kerala
| map_alt = Location within Kerala, India
| map_caption = Location within Kerala, India
| map_width = 150px
| relief =
| label =
| label_position =
| mark =
| marker_size =
| location = [[Nilambur]], Kerala
| nearest_city = [[Nilambur]]
| coordinates = {{coord|11|16|N|76|28.5|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref =
| area_km2 = 1419
| designation =
| authorized =
| created =
| established = 4 April 2002
| designated =
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| visitation_ref =
| governing_body =
| administrator =
| operator =
| owner =
| website =
| url =
| child =
| module =
}}

'''Nilambur Elephant Reserve''' is a wildlife reserve in [[Kerala]], India. It has a total area of 1419 (sq. km{{sup|2}})<ref name="area1">{{cite book |last=Ghosh |first=Asish Kumar |title=A Comprehensive Handbook on Biodiversity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WbmiAYhS6d0C&q=nilambur+elephant+reserve&pg=PA62 |publisher=The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), 2008 |page=62 |isbn=9788179931653 |date=2008-01-01 }}</ref><ref name="area2">{{cite book |first=P.D |last=Sharma |title= Ecology and the Environment |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fjmhn4g5VHkC&q=nilambur+elephant+reserve&pg=PA325 |location= Meerut |publisher=Rastogi publications, 2005. |page=325 |isbn=9788171339051 |year=2005 }}</ref> and was created in 2002 as part of [[Project Elephant]]. The reserve is one of four in Kerala; the state having an elephant population of 5706 in 2018.<ref name="TheTimes1">{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/100-elephants-killed-in-2-years-across-south/articleshow/48460443.cms |title=100 elephants killed in 2 years across south |last1=Viju |first1=B. |last2=Oppilil |first2=P. |work=The Times of India |date=2015-08-13|access-date=16 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/elephants-in-troubled-waters/article31760011.ece|title=Elephants in troubled waters|last=Muringatheri|first=Mini|date=2020-06-05|work=The Hindu|access-date=2022-06-03}}</ref>

==History==

The Nilambur Elephant Reserve was created by the government of Kerala on 2 April 2002 as part of the 'Project Elephant' scheme.<ref name="Ghosh2">{{cite web |url=http://www.asiannature.org/sites/default/files/2007%20Review_%20PE_%20South_India_2007.pdf |title= Southern India Project Elephant evaluation report|last1=Ghosh |first1=Arin |last2=Baskaran |first2=N. |date=2007-08-27 |website=asiannature.org |publisher=Asian Nature Conservation Foundation |access-date=2017-01-17 }}</ref><ref name="keralagov1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.forest.kerala.gov.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=326&Itemid=280 |title=Protected area network of Kerala |access-date=2017-01-13 }}</ref> It spreads across the districts of [[Palakkad district|Palakkad]], [[Malappuram district|Malappuram]] and [[Kozhikode district|Kozhikode]]<ref name="Ghosh2"/> and is part of the South Nilgiri Elephant Range - 8.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/profiling-of-elephants-in-coimbatore-forest-division-begins/article32689200.ece |title=Profiling of elephants in Coimbatore Forest Division begins |date=2020-09-25 |work=The Hindu|access-date=2022-06-03}}</ref> Within the reserve are the [[Silent Valley National Park|Silent Valley]] and [[Mukurthi National Park|Mukurthi]] national parks, as well as Nilambur South and North Forest Divisions inclusive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.silentvalley.gov.in/AboutThePark/ParkAdministration|title=Park Administration|date=2018|website=Silent Valley National Park|access-date=2022-06-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forests.tn.gov.in/pages/view/Introduction-wild |title=Introduction |date=2016 |publisher=Government of Tamil Nadu Forest Department |access-date=2022-06-03}}</ref><ref name="KFRI1">{{cite web |url=http://docs.kfri.res.in/KFRI-RR/KFRI-RR338.pdf |title=Project Elephant - Management Plan for Elephant Reserves in Kerala |last=Easa |first=P.S |publisher=Kerala Forest Research Institute |access-date=2022-06-02 |archive-date=2020-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722132618/http://docs.kfri.res.in/KFRI-RR/KFRI-RR338.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Fauna==
{{See also|Silent Valley National Park#Flora and Fauna|Mukurthi National Park#Fauna}}
As well as [[Asian elephant|elephants]], the South Nilgiri Elephant Range 8 has a diverse fauna including leopards, tigers, leopard cat, [[gaur]], [[Nilgiri tahr]], [[sloth bear]], wild boar, [[lion-tailed macaque]]; [[sambar deer]] and three other species of deer.<ref name="KFRI1" />

In a 2010 study the elephant population in the Nilambur reserve was observed at being either 205 or 647 depending on the use of the [[Blocking (statistics)|block count]] or [[Line-intersect sampling|dung count]] method respectively.<ref name="keralagov1"/><ref name="TheHindu1">{{cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/Wild-elephant-population-stable-in-Kerala-census/article13470975.ece |title=Wild elephant population stable in Kerala: census |last=Venugopal |first=P. |work=The Hindu |date=2011-11-03|access-date=16 January 2017}}</ref> In 2011, the reserve had a total density of 0.1745 elephants per km<ref name="keralagov1"/> and as of 2017 the density is 0.25 elephants per km.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/keralas-elephant-population-goes-up/article19522596.ece |title=Kerala's elephant population goes up |last=Perinchery |first=Aathira |date=19 August 2017 |work=The Hindu |access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Elephant population
! scope="col" | <ref name="keralagov1"/>
! scope="col" | 2005
! scope="col" | 2007
! scope="col" | 2010
! scope="col" | 2017
|-
!scope="row"| Block
|281||87||205||---|
|-
!!scope="row"| Line-Transect
||334||663||647||---|
|}


== Connection ==

Nilambur reserve is connected to several other areas. The Nilambur-Appankapu corridor is 0.4 km long and widthwise, it connects Nilambur with the Vazhikadavu ranges of the North forest division. This corridor sees use by elephants moving between Wayanad South and the forests of [[Gudalur, Nilgiris|Gudalur]] in [[Tamil Nadu]]. It is obstructed by households and a rubber plantation at Appankappu.<ref name="Corridor1">{{cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2021/oct/11/conflicts-among-man-and-elephants-rise-in-kerala-as-latter-lose-habitat-2370115.html |title=Conflicts among man and elephants rise in Kerala as latter lose habitat |date=2021-10-11|publisher=New Indian Express|access-date=2022-06-03}}</ref>

Between [[Nilambur Kingdom|Nilambur Kovilakom]] and [[New Amarambalam Reserved Forest|New Amarambalam]] is a corridor of 1 km length and 0.4 km width, which reaches into the [[Silent Valley National Park|Silent Valley]] and [[Mukurthi National Park|Mukurthi]] national parks in the Nilgiri biosphere. The corridor is dissected by the Gudalur-Nilambur road, presenting an obstacle for elephants.<ref name="Corridor1" />

On the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu is a 35 km long corridor connecting Nilambur to Bandipur and Mudumalai. Unlike other corridors, its width is 0.1 km. The NH67 road dissects the corridor and numerous agricultural estates and 26 settlements are also situated along it.<ref name="Corridor1" />

The elephant populations in the range of Nilambur, the Silent Valley and Coimbature are connected via the Kallar corridor to populations in the Bhrahmagiri, Nilgiris and Eastern Ghats range.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/50-hectares-in-the-critical-kallar-elephant-corridor-declared-as-private-forest/article34776060.ece|title=50 hectares in the critical Kallar elephant corridor declared as private forest |last=Wilson |first=Thomas|date=2021-11-28 |work=The Hindu|access-date=2022-06-03}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Elephant reserves of India]]
[[Category:2002 establishments in Kerala]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 2002]]
[[Category:Palakkad district]]
[[Category:Malappuram district]]
[[Category:Kozhikode district]]

Nilambur Elephant Reserve - Revision history

Mlzsgondia: added new data