The Sanctuary: A Tiger's Refuge
There are
more than 441 sanctuaries in India of which some have been declared as tiger reserves under the Project Tiger scheme. That's a lot of them! As usual, i filtered out 3 of them. These sanctuaries have done their best to conserve tigers despite not being among the Project Tiger reserves of India.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad District, Kerala
The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Wayanad, Kerala and was established in 1973. In fact, it is the second largest sanctuary in Wayanad. It forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve that was established with the specific objective of conserving the biological heritage of the region. The sanctuary is made up of two forest regions known as Muthanga and Tholpetty covering about 344 sq.km.
The sanctuary is very rich in flora and fauna. The fauna found here include the tiger, leopard, jungle cat, sloth bear, wild dog, Indian python, common Indian monitor, black buck, wild boar, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, blue bull, common langoor, harep, jackal, mongoose, peacock, jungle fowl and flying squirrel. Among these, there are reported to be about 45 species of mammals, 216 species of birds, 45 species of reptiles, 30 species of amphibians and 59 species of fish. The sanctuary is part of Project Elephant where herds of elephants roam freely across the ranges. About a third of the sanctuary is covered by plantation of teak, rosewood, eucalyptus and silver oak.
A study conducted in 2012 on tiger monitoring by the Kerala Forest Department and WWF India in the sanctuary revealed that it may be housing the largest population of tigers in South India after Bandipur Tiger Reserve, a sanctuary adjacent to the Wayanad. The study revealed that the sanctuary was home to as many as 80 tigers including 10 cubs! Awesome, ha?
Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhandara District, Maharashtra
Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary is a small and little-known reserve covering 152 sq.km located in Bhandara District. It is commonly known as the Green Oasis of Vidharba region as it is enclosed in nature and landscape. In fact, nearly 30,000 tourists visit the sanctuary annually. The sanctuary consists of hills and lakes within its boundary. The land has diverse vegetation and forests that provide refuge for animals and birds. Animals commonly spotted are the tiger, panther, leopard, bison, sloth bear, sambar, four-headed antelope, blue bull, chital, barking deer, mouse deer, civet cat, jackal, jungle cat, spotted hyena and hare. Birds commonly spotted are the peafowl, grey jungle fowl and red spur fowl. The sanctuary is home to 34 species of mammals, 166 species of birds and 36 species of reptiles, 4 species of amphibia and fish. There are also 49 recorded species of butterflies.
Maharashtra region is home to many wildlife sanctuaries. The Government of India is determined to protect these places in order to attract tourists. In fact, t
he state government of Maharashtra has awarded a research project a lump sum amount to study the density, habitual patterns, eating habits, socio-economic impacts of the tiger including their numbers, that of their co-predators and prey. It is a five year project that targets Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and adjoining landscapes such as Navegaon National Park, Bor, Chaprala and Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuaries. The research will also target to look into cases of human-tiger conflict, a major concern of the study.
Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary, Gadchiroli District, Maharashtra
Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary has been known to be one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in India as well as a favorite spot for tourists. In fact, they say, while travelling to Maharashtra, one's itinerary should include visiting this sanctuary. It is spread over 134 sq.kms and is home to nearly 131 species of wild animals and birds such as the tiger, leopard, jungle cat, wild boar, black buck, barking deer, peacock, common langoor, common Indian monitor, mongoose, Indian python, flying squirrel, sambar, jackal, jungle fowl, harep, blue bull, spotted dear, and sloth bear. The existence of some of these animals is said to be threatened. The land here is vastly populated with wildlife and vegetation, some of which are endangered. There are also several water places where tourists go boating. It is a real treat for any visitor and is a majestic place for nature lovers.
Out of the 23 species of mammals recorded, 5 species are endangered, namely the tiger, leopard, jungle cat, sloth bear and wild dog. Two species of reptiles are also endangered; the Indian python and common Indian monitor. There are also 3 species of birds that hold the endangered status. Chaprala's greatest attraction is the Giant Indian squirrel. Unfortunately, its numbers are steadily declining.
Like Nagzira, Chaprala WS is one of the beneficiaries of the study on tiger populations, habitats and eating habits among other aspects. This will help the government of Maharashtra to find ways of curbing human-tiger conflicts and hopefully bring a lasting solution to this major issue.
These 3 sanctuaries may not be Tiger Reserves but they play a large role in the conservation of tigers, so much that studies are being done on their tiger populations. Now isn't that awesome...makes me think about the David-Goliath story...nothing is too small or insignificant to make an impact!
Why We Need To Save The Tiger
