A wildlife corridor, also known as a habitat corridor or green corridor, is a stretch of natural habitat that connects different populations of wildlife that have been separated by human activities like roads, buildings, or logging. These corridors allow animals to move between populations, which helps prevent problems like inbreeding and low genetic diversity, which can happen when animal groups are isolated.
Corridors also make it easier for populations to recover after events like fires or disease outbreaks by allowing individuals to migrate and establish new groups. Let us learn more!
Wildlife Corridors in India
Wildlife Corridors in India
| Wildlife Corridor | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Corbett-Rajaji Corridor | Uttarakhand | Connects Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji National Park, facilitating the movement of tigers, elephants, and other wildlife. |
| Kanha-Pench Corridor | Madhya Pradesh | Links Kanha Tiger Reserve and Pench Tiger Reserve, providing habitat connectivity for tigers and other wildlife species. |
| Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Corridor | Assam | Connects Kaziranga National Park and Karbi Anglong Hills, serving as a critical elephant corridor in the Northeast. |
| Bandipur-Nagarahole Corridor | Karnataka | Connects Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks, facilitating the movement of tigers, elephants, and other wildlife. |
| Periyar-Agasthyamalai Corridor | Kerala-Tamil Nadu | Links Periyar Tiger Reserve and Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, supporting the movement of elephants and other species. |
| Western Ghats Corridor | Western Ghats | Spans multiple states along the Western Ghats, providing habitat connectivity for a diverse range of flora and fauna. |
| Eastern Ghats Corridor | Eastern Ghats | Connects fragmented habitats in the Eastern Ghats, supporting the movement of species such as elephants and big cats. |
7 Important Wildlife Corridors in India
Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Corridor
- The Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Corridor spans 25,000 square kilometres across Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. It’s a crucial wildlife corridor in India, particularly for large mammals like tigers, elephants, and rhinos. This corridor connects Kaziranga National Park and the Karbi Anglong hills, allowing animals to move between habitats. However, development and the presence of National Highway 37 pose threats to wildlife, especially during floods. Protecting this corridor from human activities is essential for preserving habitat and ensuring the survival of many species.
Terai Arc Landscape, Lower Himalayan Region
- The Terai Arc Landscape extends 810 kilometers across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar in India, and Nepal’s low-lying hills. It serves as a vital migration corridor in the Lower Himalayan Region, covering 14 protected areas. This diverse landscape includes grasslands, forests, and river valleys, providing essential habitats for various species, including rare Indian rhinos, Asian elephants, and Bengal Tigers. The corridor offers space for species to migrate between parks and preserves, like Chitwan National Park in Nepal and Rajaji National Park in India, which alone cannot support a healthy population of large mammals. Protecting this corridor is crucial for the survival of many species.
The Kanha-Pench Corridor, Satpuda-Maikal Landscape
- This corridor connects the Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves and sustains a significant meta-population of tigers in central India. It’s home to around 120 tigers and various other important species. While human-wildlife conflict is not the primary threat, development projects like roads and railways could disrupt habitats.
The Sawantwadi-Dodamarg Wildlife Corridor
- This corridor in southwestern India connects protected areas and is crucial for wildlife movement in the Western Ghats. It’s home to rare species like Bengal tigers, bears, and elephants. Concerns about mining in the area led to its designation as an ecologically sensitive zone.
Sanjay Gandhi National Park Wildlife Overpass
- Under construction, this wildlife corridor in Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park will be India’s first wildlife overpass. It aims to facilitate the movement of wildlife, including leopards and various bird species, between the park and the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Rajaji-Corbett Corridor, Uttarakhand
- Connecting two major protected areas, this corridor supports a diverse population of tigers, elephants, and leopards. However, it has suffered from forest loss and degradation due to human activities, hindering animal movement.
Ranthambhore-Kuno-Madhav Corridor, Western India
- This corridor connects three protected tiger habitats and provides essential migration space for large mammals like tigers, chital, and sambar. Human encroachment poses a threat to the corridor’s integrity, particularly through land-use changes and agricultural expansion.
Wildlife Corridors Examples
| Wildlife Corridor | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Corbett-Rajaji Corridor | Uttarakhand | Connects Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji National Park, facilitating the movement of tigers, elephants, and other wildlife. |
| Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Corridor | Assam | Connects Kaziranga National Park and Karbi Anglong Hills, serving as a critical elephant corridor in the Northeast. |
| Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Corridor | Tamil Nadu-Kerala-Karnataka | Links multiple protected areas in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, providing habitat connectivity for diverse wildlife. |
| Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve Corridor | Maharashtra | Connects Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve with adjacent forest areas, facilitating tiger movement and gene flow. |
| Kanha-Pench Corridor | Madhya Pradesh | Links Kanha Tiger Reserve and Pench Tiger Reserve, providing habitat connectivity for tigers and other wildlife species. |
| Wayanad Corridor | Kerala | Connects Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary with other forest patches, serving as an important elephant migration route. |
| Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve Corridor | Karnataka | Connects Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park, supporting movement of tigers and other wildlife. |
Types of Wildlife Corridors
Habitat corridors vary in width, with wider corridors generally attracting more wildlife. However, the effectiveness of a corridor depends more on its design than its width. Here are three categories based on corridor width:
- Regional Corridors: These are wider, typically over 500 meters, and connect major ecological features like migratory routes.
- Sub-regional Corridors: These are narrower than regional corridors, usually over 300 meters wide, and connect larger landscape features such as ridges and valleys.
- Local Corridors: These are narrower still, often less than 50 meters wide, and connect smaller habitat patches like gullies or wetlands.
Corridors can also be classified based on their continuity. Continuous corridors are unbroken strips of habitat, while “stepping stone” corridors are smaller patches of suitable habitat. However, stepping-stone corridors may be more vulnerable to edge effects.
Additionally, wildlife crossings like underpasses or overpasses are forms of corridors used to help animals cross man-made barriers like roads, reducing conflicts such as roadkill. Underpasses tend to be more successful than overpasses because animals are often hesitant to cross bridges in front of traffic.
Pros and Cons of Wildlife Corridors
Here are the pros and cons of wildlife corridors:
Pros:
- Habitat Connectivity: Wildlife corridors facilitate the movement of animals between fragmented habitats, allowing them to access essential resources such as food, water, and mates. This helps maintain genetic diversity and population viability.
- Biodiversity Conservation: By providing safe passages for wildlife, corridors support the dispersal of species and contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. They enable the migration of both large and small animals, including endangered species.
- Reduced Human-Wildlife Conflict: Wildlife corridors can help reduce conflicts between humans and wildlife by directing animal movements away from human settlements. This can mitigate damage to crops, property, and infrastructure, and reduce the likelihood of human-wildlife encounters.
- Ecosystem Functioning: Corridors promote ecosystem functioning by facilitating the movement of seeds, pollen, and nutrients between different habitats. This enhances ecological processes such as pollination, seed dispersal, and natural regeneration.
- Tourism and Education: Well-designed wildlife corridors can provide opportunities for ecotourism, nature-based recreation, and environmental education. They offer visitors the chance to observe wildlife in their natural habitats and learn about conservation efforts.
Cons:
- Habitat Fragmentation: Despite their intended purpose, poorly planned corridors can exacerbate habitat fragmentation by creating barriers to wildlife movement or directing animals into high-risk areas such as roads or human settlements.
- Invasive Species Spread: Wildlife corridors may inadvertently facilitate the spread of invasive species by providing pathways for their dispersal into new habitats. This can have negative impacts on native species and ecosystem dynamics.
- Predation and Disease Transmission: Corridors can increase the risk of predation and disease transmission, especially if they funnel animals into concentrated areas where predators or disease vectors are present.
- Human Disturbance: Corridors that pass through human-dominated landscapes may face disturbances such as habitat destruction, pollution, poaching, and disturbance from human activities. These disturbances can compromise the effectiveness of the corridor and pose threats to wildlife.
- Maintenance and Management: Establishing and maintaining wildlife corridors require ongoing efforts, including land acquisition, habitat restoration, fencing, monitoring, and enforcement of regulations. These activities can be resource-intensive and may face logistical and financial challenges.
Wildlife Corridors in India – Purpose
Habitat corridors are an important tool in managing areas where natural habitats have been disrupted due to human development or natural disasters. When land is fragmented, animal populations can become unstable. Corridors help reconnect these fragmented areas and stabilize populations by aiding in three key factors:
- Colonization: Animals can move to new areas to find resources like food or shelter when their core habitat is lacking.
- Migration: Species that move seasonally can do so more easily when they can navigate around human-made barriers.
- Interbreeding: Animals can find mates in nearby regions, increasing genetic diversity.
Early researchers like Daniel Rosenberg et al. defined wildlife corridors as pathways that facilitate movement without being limited by specific vegetation or habitat types.
Corridors not only benefit animal populations but also indirectly affect plant populations by helping spread pollen and seeds. They need to be large enough to support viable populations, minimize migration barriers, and maximize connections between populations.
These corridors can include aquatic habitats like rivers and streams, often referred to as riparian ribbons. On land, they can be wooded strips or urban hedges that connect different habitat areas.
Also Read: Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India
List of Major Wildlife Corridors
| Major Wildlife Corridor | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Paséo Pantera / Mesoamerican Biological Corridor | Mesoamerica | A corridor spanning the Mesoamerican region, also known as Paséo del Jaguar, aimed at conserving the rich biodiversity of the area. |
| Eastern Himalayan Corridor | Eastern Himalayas | A corridor in the Eastern Himalayas aimed at preserving the diverse wildlife and ecosystems of the region. |
| China-Russia Tiger Corridor | China-Russia border | A corridor connecting China and Russia, specifically targeted at conserving the tiger population and their habitats. |
| Tandai Tiger Corridor | Tandai, India | A corridor in India focused on tiger conservation, particularly in the Tandai region. |
| European Green Belt | Europe | A network of ecological corridors spanning across Europe, aimed at conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development. |
| Siju-Rewak Corridor | Garo Hills, India | Located in the Garo Hills of India, this corridor protects an important population of elephants and links the Siju Wildlife Sanctuary and the Rewak Reserve Forest. |
| Ecologische Hoofdstructuur | Netherlands | A network of corridors and habitats created for wildlife conservation in the Netherlands. |
| Kanha-Pench Elevated Corridor | India | A 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) long elevated corridor on NH 44 aimed at facilitating wildlife movement. |
| Elephant Passes and Bridges in Lumding Reserve Forest, Assam | Assam, India | Two elephant passes and two minor bridges on NH 54 in Assam’s Lumding Reserve Forest to facilitate the movement of elephants and ensure their safety. |
| Elephant Underpasses in Uttarakhand, India | Uttarakhand, India | Three elephant underpasses, each with 6 meters (20 feet) of vertical clearance, on NH 72 and NH 58 in Uttarakhand, India, aimed at providing safe passages for elephants and reducing human-elephant conflicts. |
| Terai Arc Landscapes | Lower Himalayan Region, India and Nepal | A landscape-level conservation initiative spanning across the lower Himalayan region in India and Nepal, aimed at conserving biodiversity, particularly focusing on protecting the habitats of tigers, elephants, and other endangered species. |
Wildlife Corridors in India – Users
- Many species fall into one of two categories: passage users and corridor dwellers.
- Passage users are animals that use corridors temporarily, such as for seasonal migration, moving young animals away from their birthplace, or traveling within a large territory. Examples include large herbivores, medium to large carnivores, and migratory species.
- Corridor dwellers, on the other hand, can spend longer periods in corridors, ranging from several days to several years. These species include plants, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, and small mammals. For corridor dwellers, the corridor must offer enough resources to support their entire life cycle.
Also Read: Wildlife Tourism in India
Asia’s Largest Wildlife Corridor Coming Soon In India:
- India is taking a significant step towards promoting eco-friendly practices with the construction of its first wildlife corridor. This corridor, set to be Asia’s largest, will not only proThe last 20km stretch passes through eco-sensitive zone of Raja Ji National Park where Asia’s longest elevated wildlife corridor (12km) is being constructed that includes 340m Daat Kali tunnel.
- Currently the NH 72A is a 2 lane highway and cause inconvenience to the wildlife owing to the cacophony of its traffic jams.vide safe passage for animals but also reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun.
- Once completed, the expressway would reduce travel time between Dehradun-Delhi from 6 hrs to 2.5 hours and Delhi-Haridwar from 5 hours to 2 hours, he stated
- This elevated corridor will be India’s first such green highway that will pass through a forest area running alongside the Rajaji Tiger Reserve
- It will also have certain wayside amenities as well.
- As the world moves towards sustainable living, India is also prioritizing environmental conservation and wildlife protection. The wildlife corridor, part of the Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun economic corridor, was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. Spanning 12 kilometers, it will be elevated to allow animals to cross dams and roads safely.
- Located within Rajaji National Park, this corridor aims to protect wildlife while cutting travel time between Dehradun and Delhi. Once completed, the journey between the two cities will take just 2.5 hours, significantly less than the previous 6-hour journey.
Asia’s Largest Wildlife Corridor – Facts
- The final 20 kilometers of the expressway passes through the eco-sensitive zone of Rajaji National Park, where construction of Asia’s longest elevated wildlife corridor, spanning 12 kilometers and featuring the 340-meter Daat Kali tunnel, is underway.
- Currently, the NH 72A is a 2-lane highway causing inconvenience to wildlife due to traffic congestion.
- Once completed, the expressway will significantly reduce travel time between Dehradun and Delhi, from 6 hours to 2.5 hours, and between Delhi and Haridwar, from 5 hours to 2 hours.
- This elevated corridor will be India’s first green highway passing through a forest area adjacent to the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
- It will also include various amenities along the way for travelers.
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FAQs on Wildlife Corridors in India
How many major tiger corridors are there in India?
The National Tiger Conservation Authority alongwith the Wildlife Institute of India, in letter and spirit of section 38 O (1) (g) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 have identified 32 major tiger corridors in the country.
What is the tiger corridor in India?
The Central India Tiger Corridor Project primarily focuses on tiger populations in the central and northern parts of the landscape. The central Vidarbha tiger region includes five tiger reserves, namely Pench, Tadoba-Andhari, Melghat, Bor, and Nawegaon-Nagzira, sustaining approximately 200 tigers.
Which is the longest wildlife corridor in India?
Delhi-Dehradun expressway, Asia’s longest wildlife corridor, may be ready by October. NHAI has built eight underpasses along the Expressway to ease the movement of wild animals, including tigers and elephants, during the day time.
What is Kanha-Pench corridor?
The Kanha-Pench Corridor lies in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and connects the Kanha Tiger Reserve (MP) with Pench Tiger Reserve (MP & Maharashtra). Spanning an area of approximately 5,925 km , it lies in the southern portion of the Satpuda range in Maikal hills.
Which is the first urban wildlife corridor in India?
Wildlife corridors are connected with the protected areas and allow the movement of animals without interfering with human settlements. Recently, India’s first urban wildlife corridor is being planned between New Delhi and Haryana.