Important Facts For Prelims
Bandipur Tiger Reserve
- 20 Jan 2021
- 3 min read
Why in News
A stranded wild elephant was rescued in Nugu reservoir, close to Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.
- According to the Tiger census 2018, Karnataka has the second highest number of tigers in the country after Madhya Pradesh.
Key Points
- Establishment: It was established in 1973 under Project Tiger. In 1985, by including adjacent areas from Venugopala Wildlife Park, it was enlarged and named as Bandipur National Park.
- Location: It is situated in two contiguous districts (Mysore and Chamarajanagar) of Karnataka and is located at the tri-junction area of the States Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It forms a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- Ecological Diversity: It lies in one of the richest biodiversity areas of the country. It is surrounded by
- Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) in the South,
- Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the South-west &
- The Kabini Reservoir separates the Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on the North-west.
- Biodiversity: It is endowed with rich floral and faunal diversity and is recognized as one of the Mega Biodiversity Areas in the country.
- The Bandipur along with Nagarahole, Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam & Wayanad constitutes the single largest Wild population of Tigers in the world.
- This Landscape is also home to the single largest Asian Elephant population in the world and is part of the Mysore Elephant Reserve (MER).
- Rivers and the Highest Point: The park is located between the Kabini river in the north and the Moyar river in the south. The Nugu river runs through the park. The highest point in the park is on a hill called Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta.
- Other Tiger Reserves in Karnataka:
- Bhadra Tiger Reserve
- Nagarahole Tiger Reserve
- Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve
- Biligiriranganatha Swamy Temple(BRT) Tiger Reserve
- Besides, Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary has been proposed to be made a tiger reserve.
Asian Elephants
- Subspecies: There are three subspecies of Asian elephant which are the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan.
- Protection Status:
- IUCN Red List Status: Endangered.
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
- Conservation Efforts:
