Mudumalai tiger reserve to be out of bounds for visitors from March 5

TNN Mar 3, 2012, 02.33AM IST UDHAGAMANDALAM: The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) will be closed for visitors from March 5 due to the prolonged dry spell in the Nilgiris. "We have decided to close the reserve for visitors as the grasslands inside the forest have become very dry," A Ameer Haja, deputy director, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Mukurthi National Park, said. "However, water bodies inside the forest area have sufficient water to cater to the requirements of the animals," he added. The ban on tourists is mainly because the dry weather often causes fires which could put their lives at risk. A number of fires have been reported from various parts of the MTR in the past one month. According to P Raghuram Singh, chief conservator of forests and field director, MTR and Mukurthi National Park, there were a series of wild fires in the MTR forests last month. "Out of five ranges, three ranges in the forests of MTR suffered damages. However, only bushes and dry grasslands were damaged in the fires," he said. "No tree was burnt as the fire fighters attended to it quickly," he said. Last month, forest officials had cracked a major forest fire case that started on February 13 and destroyed at least 15 acres of dense forest. Two tribal men were arrested on Wednesday for starting the fire. One of the spy cameras installed inside the MTR jungles helped the forest officials to nab the culprits. The footage recorded by the camera revealed that on February 13 at around 10.22am, five persons were wandering inside the jungle collecting 'lichens' and while leaving the forest set fire inside the forest. Every year during the dry season, the MTR is closed for visitors for at least a month. The 312 sq km tiger reserve is home to at least 55 tigers and nearly 900 Asian elephants besides a wide variety of wildlife and vegetation. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-03/coimbatore/31118906_1_mtr-forest-fires