IRREPLACEABLE
Papikonda National Park Andhra Pradesh , India
To date , more than 12,000 Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas ( IBAs ) have been identified by BirdLife – making it the largest list of globally-important biodiverse sites in the world . And as we continue to perform vital research in remote , rugged areas , the number of identified IBAs will only continue to grow . The latest to be recognised is Papikonda National Park , a 1,012 km 2 region of deep forested valleys and steep hills nestled in the Eastern Ghats , a mountain range that stretches across India ’ s eastern coast .
The IBA was identified during a Conservation Leadership Programme-funded study of mammals in the Eastern Ghats . The area ’ s tropical forests are a biodiversity hotspot , hosting many endangered plants and animals , but unfortunately it was unsafe for many years to conduct research in the area
12 BIRDLIFE • DECEMBER 2016