| Region: | Kerala |
| Website: | https://forest.kerala.gov.in/ |
| Native Name: | Malayalam: കോന്നി വനം ഡിവിഷൻ |
| Native Lang: | ml |
| Country: | India |
| Konni Forest Division | |
| Authority: | Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department |
| Coordinates: | 9.2306°N 76.8519°W |
| Status: | Reserve forest |
| Disturbance: | Plantation, poaching |
| Elevation: | Highest: |
| Map: | India Kerala#India |
| Relief: | 1 |
The Konni Forest Division is located in Kerala, India, and covers an area of about .[1] It is the first reserve forest in Kerala, which was declared on under the Travancore Forest Act of 1887.[2] The division is part of the Western Ghats, which were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in .[3] The forest area is a repository of many endemic species of the Western Ghats.
It falls under Karunagappally, Kunnathur and Pathanapuram taluks of Kollam district and Adoor, Kozhencherry taluks of Pathanamthitta district.[4] Consisting of the Konni, Naduvathummoozhy and Mannarappara ranges, the division belongs to the southern circle of the Kerala Forest Department.[5]
The division covers a total area of, of which are reserved forest, are reserved land, and are government lands. With of teak plantations, it has the largest teak plantation area in Kerala.
The main hills in the division are Malayalam: Chelikkalkar (997 m), Malayalam: Iruvallimala (817 m), Malayalam: Thunathumala (721 m) and Malayalam: Kodamala (598 m). Achankovil, Pamba Kallar and Achenkovil Kallar are the primary rivers that originate in the reserve forest.
The temperature can vary from in the rainy and winter seasons to in the summer. The months of March and April are the hottest. Rainfall occurs from June to September or November.
In, the forest was divided into ranges. The division consists of Konni, Mannarapara and Naduvathummoozhy ranges and eight stations.[6] The Naduvathummoozhy range is the largest, with, and the Konni range is the smallest, covering .[7] Konni serves as the division's main headquarters.
| Range | Area | Stations |
|---|---|---|
| Konni | North Kumaramperoor | |
| South Kumaramperoor | ||
| Naduvathumoozhy | Kokkathodu | |
| Karippanthode | ||
| Padom | ||
| Mannarapara | Chempala | |
| Mannarapara | ||
| Pachakanam |
Konni forest division has tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. The major forest types of Konni division are:
About 29 species of mammals are found in the Konni division. These include tiger, leopard, leopard cat, elephant, gaur, wild boar, jungle cat, wild dog, jackal, common mongoose, stripe-necked mongoose, toddy cat, small Indian civet, barking deer, sambar deer, mouse deer, Indian pangolin, sloth bear, Nilgiri langur, gray langur, Travancore flying squirrel, Indian giant squirrel, Indian porcupine, Indian hare, Indian mole rat, bandicoot rat, bonnet macaque, slender loris and fulvous fruit bat.[8] [9]
Konni division is one of the IBAs (Important Bird Area) of India.[10] About 133 species of birds were recorded from the division. Endemic birds of the western ghats such as Malabar grey hornbill, Nilgiri wood pigeon, white-bellied treepie and white-cheeked barbet are seen here. Although rare, great hornbills are also seen. Pariah kite, Brahminy kite, jungle myna, hill myna, crow pheasant, white-headed babbler, blue-winged parakeet, Indian lorikeet, spotted dove, emerald dove and mountain imperial pigeon are other species found here.
The important reptile species found here are monitor lizard, garden lizard, flying lizard, skink, cobra, king cobra, python, viper, krait, rat snake, tree snake and turtle.