Wildlife Regions of India : Eastern Highlands & Eastern Ghats

The Eastern Highlands and the Eastern Ghats constitute a geologically ancient, highly weathered, and ecologically diverse landscape that stretches along India’s eastern seaboard, extending inland to merge with the Chota Nagpur Plateau and the Deccan Plateau. Unlike the contiguous Western Ghats, this region is characterized by a series of discontinuous hill ranges—such as the Nallamalas, Erramalas, Garhjat, and Seshachalam hills—separated by major eastward-flowing river systems including the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Pennar. The region experiences a tropical monsoon climate with high humidity along the coastal proximity, transitioning to semi-arid conditions in the rain-shadow inland areas. This climatic variation supports a mosaic of ecosystems, primarily tropical dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests, renowned for extensive stands of Sal (Shorea robusta) in the northern highlands and the highly endemic Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) in the southern reaches. The biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands and Ghats is uniquely adapted to a fractured topography, featuring high rates of endemism in flora, reptiles, and amphibians, alongside robust populations of megafauna like the Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, and Gaur. Despite its ecological significance, the region faces intense conservation challenges, prominently large-scale mining operations, illegal logging, forest fires, and rapid linear infrastructure development, which threaten to sever already tenuous ecological corridors. Biosphere Reserves within this landscape are critical for securing these fragmented habitats. They provide large, protected contiguous blocks that sustain endemic species, protect vital watersheds, and safeguard the traditional livelihoods of indigenous tribal communities, such as the Santhal, Kolha, and Chenchu, who possess centuries of intimate ecological knowledge.

Similipal Biosphere Reserve

Located in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, the Similipal Biosphere Reserve encompasses a vast, undulating expanse of the Chota Nagpur Plateau and the Eastern Highlands. Situated at altitudes ranging from 40 to 1,168 meters at the Meghasani peak, the reserve experiences a distinct tropical monsoon climate that supports rich, dense tropical moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests, dominated by majestic Sal trees. This well-watered plateau forms the primary catchment for numerous perennial rivers, including the Budhabalanga, Khadkai, and West Deo, featuring dramatic waterfalls like Barehipani and Joranda. Similipal is a critical stronghold for eastern Indian wildlife, harboring a significant population of Asian Elephants, Gaurs, and a uniquely distinct population of pseudo-melanistic Bengal Tigers. The diverse habitat also supports the Chausingha (Four-horned Antelope), Mugger Crocodile in its aquatic zones, and rare avifauna such as the Red-breasted Falconet. The reserve features regional botanical endemism, including several rare orchids like Eria meghasaniensis. Home to indigenous communities such as the Santhal, Kolha, and Mankirdia, the landscape represents a profound integration of tribal heritage and forest conservation. Recognized by the UNESCO MAB programme in 2009, Similipal is of paramount ecological significance for maintaining large-mammal habitats, studying unique genetic expressions in isolated tiger populations, and protecting a crucial watershed in the eastern highlands.

Landscape Connectivity

The Similipal Biosphere Reserve functions as the core anchor of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, establishing a vital conservation landscape in eastern India. Its central zone consists of the Similipal Tiger Reserve and National Park, which maintains critical, albeit increasingly fragmented, forested corridors connecting to the adjoining Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary to the south and the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary further southeast. This wider Similipal-Hadgarh-Kuldiha landscape is indispensable for the seasonal migration of the Asian Elephant and facilitates the genetic dispersal of wildlife across the Chota Nagpur plateau. Additionally, the reserve maintains broader regional landscape continuity towards the transboundary forests of Jharkhand and West Bengal. Protecting these tenuous corridors from the pressures of mining and highway expansion is absolutely essential for preventing the genetic isolation of Similipal’s unique wildlife populations and ensuring the long-term ecological resilience of the Eastern Highlands.

Seshachalam Hills Biosphere Reserve

Located in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, the Seshachalam Hills Biosphere Reserve encompasses a rugged, deeply fractured segment of the southern Eastern Ghats. Characterized by precipitous quartzite gorges, steep escarpments, and cascading waterfalls, the terrain ranges in altitude from 150 to 1,130 meters. The region experiences a semi-arid, tropical dry climate that shapes its distinct vegetation, predominantly consisting of tropical dry deciduous and scrub forests. This specialized ecosystem is globally renowned as the sole natural habitat of the endangered Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus), a highly valued endemic timber species. The varied topography supports unique fauna, acting as a crucial refuge for the Slender Loris, Indian Leopard, Dhole (Wild Dog), and the globally threatened Yellow-throated Bulbul. The reserve is exceptionally rich in herpetofauna, boasting highly range-restricted endemics such as the Seshachalam Golden Gecko and the Cycad species Cycas beddomei. The landscape holds immense spiritual and cultural importance, as the transition zone includes the sacred Tirumala hills.Officially designated by the Government of India in 2010, the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve is scientifically invaluable for protecting narrow-range endemics, studying dry-forest ecology, and preventing the illegal exploitation of its unique botanical resources amidst severe anthropogenic pressures.

Landscape Connectivity

The Seshachalam Hills Biosphere Reserve constitutes a critical forested block within the highly fragmented landscape of the southern Eastern Ghats.The core of the reserve is formed by the Sri Venkateswara National Park and the encompassing Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary. Ecologically, this landscape provides an essential contiguous habitat for dry-forest specialized species and acts as a regional watershed for tributaries of the Pennar River. While direct, unbroken forested corridors to other major protected areas are limited due to historical deforestation and intense agricultural expansion, the reserve maintains crucial stepping-stone connectivity with the adjoining reserved forests of the Kadapa and Chittoor districts. This landscape-level continuity, though tenuous, is vital for the dispersal of leopards, the movement of localized elephant populations, and the sustained genetic exchange of highly endemic flora like Red Sanders across the remaining forested ridges of the Eastern Ghats.

Regional Summary Table: Eastern Highlands & Eastern Ghats