Management plan for wildlife sanctuary ready

KOZHIKODE: The Chief Conservator of Forests (Northern Region) has forwarded the management plan for the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary to the Chief Wildlife Warden for final approval.The management plan is a comprehensive document detailing every aspect of the proposed sanctuary, including its history, flora, fauna, current status, threats like forest fires, etc. Based on the plan, the Union government will provide annual funds for running the sanctuary. A team of experts who had been studying the regions flora, fauna and water resources was included in the plan drafting and it was submitted for public review during a workshop at Mathottam on November 12, 2009. The views of the public and local bodies were ascertained and incorporated.Results of the preliminary studies gave a big boost to hastening the announcement of the sanctuary. The study revealed at least 680 species of flowering plants, including 226 species endemic to the Western Ghats, 41 species of mammals, including six Western Ghats endemic, 179 birds, including 10 Western Ghats endemic, 36 reptile species with 12 Western Ghats endemic, 38 amphibians with 26 Western Ghats endemic and 52 fishes with eight Western Ghats endemic