Rapid Survey at Rayakottai RF on August 29, 2009

The third rapid ground survey was carried out at the Udedurgam Reserve forest. This RF forms part of the Rayakota range and is the largest tract of forest in this range.

Trek Path: Kadur to Panchapalli Dam along the left bank Pennaiyar River. (time 11:00 AM to 3:45 PM)

The Pennaiyar stream enters the RF near Kadur and flows diagonally nearly bisecting the RF. The stream empties into the reservoir at Panchapalli Dam at the intersection of the Udedurgam and Aiyur Extension RF.

The teams started from Kadur and trekked along the left bank of the Pennaiyar stream looking for scat, pugmarks, hoofmarks and other indirect evidences of mammals, birds and reptiles.

Late start of the trek at 11:00 AM could be the reasons for the low level of bird activity and lack of any direct sightings of mammals.

All indirect evidences were noted down on the data sheets. A noteworthy highlight of the trek was the fresh trail left behind by a Leopard adult and cub along a sandy stretch on the pennaiyar river.

Spoor of Chital, Gaur, wild pig etc were found along the stream. Scat samples collected were handed over at the field station at Aiyur.

Team members:

1. Karthikeyan
2. Khusro
3. Chandrakant Konar
4. Yedhunandan
5. Manivanan

Forest Department:

1. Venkatagiri
2. Chellappan
3. Madhu
4. Lakshmanan

-
Sanjeev Kumar S. R.
Vice President
Kenneth Anderson Nature Society