After direct sighting of about eight tigers at the Kudremukh National Park in Karnataka in the last tiger census, the state department is planning to declare the area as a Tiger Reserve.
The last tiger census conducted at Kudremukh National Park displayed many direct and indirect evidences such as scat and pug marks to confirm that this area is good for a tiger habitat. Some of the cats have even been seen roaming the abandoned mining areas here which is a good sign.
With all the evidences in hand, the state government plans to declare the National Park as a Tiger Reserve which will ensure that the area is well protected. Also the government will have to put a ban on all the mining companies that have occupied a part of the National Park. To make their plea stronger, the state government has sought the help of wildlife experts and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. If Kudremukh National Park is declared a Tiger Reserve, it will be the largest forest block in the centre of Western Ghats to be declared as a Tiger Reserve in the state
Once declared as a Tiger Reserve there will be no scope for any commercial activities in this area and this has given hope to many wildlife experts who have been fighting a long battle to clear out the mining companies form the park since a long time.
According to noted tiger scientist and director of Centre for Wildlife Studies, K Ullas Karanth, “It is a fantastic area that has been lying neglected. In 1986, while on a survey, I found it was the ideal habitat for the largest lion-tailed macaque, based on which, it was declared a national park in 1987. In the 16 sq km of abandoned mining area, vegetation has come up and of late tiger signs have also been seen. I have been suggesting this area be declared a tiger reserve, for a very long time.”
Kudremukh National Park is the largest Wildlife Protected Area of a tropical wet evergreen type of forest in the Western Ghats. It also has a unique habitat of the Sholas, and Annamalai trees and has been named after a distinct peak in the park that is shaped like a horse face. The park adjoins Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary on the western side and is linked to Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary through a narrow stretch of reserved forests on the southern edge. On can find here more than 195 rare species of birds including the great pied hornbill and is home to animals such as tigers, leopards, wild dogs, lion tailed macaque, sloth bear, common langur and others.
Even before being declared as a declared as a National Park, mining lease were issued in this area from July 1969 to 1999. After 1999, though the lease was not extended butthe mining companies were granted temporary work permits. As such about 37 sq km of the National Park was used for mining. But in 2005, the Supreme Court dismissed the plea of the mining firms to renew their lease and occupy the land.
The declaration of Kudremukh National Park as Tiger Reserve may further intensify the on-going lobbying for the mining row that is building pressure on the state government to permit mining and allow functioning of idle machinery at abandoned mining areas.
However if the rights of the beast wins this round this will be the biggest even green forest block in the area. Other tiger reserves mostly comprise of dry, moist and semi-deciduous forests.
Kudremuhk National Park is situated about 95 km from Chikmagalur and 350 kms from Bangalore,and is also close to Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Dandeli and Anshi Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Nagarhole Tiger Reserve and all connected together form a large pathway for the movement of tigers, Asian elephants and other wild animals.
The Karnataka state government had even declared as Biligiri Ranganna Betta or BR Hills near Mysore as a Tiger Reserve some time ago. These picturesque hills are located between Cauvery River and Tungabhadra River.
No comments:
Post a Comment