Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

• 07 Feb 2020

Why in News

Recently, rejuvenation camp for captive elephants was inaugurated inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).

• Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu state at the tri-junction of three states, viz, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• It is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1^st Biosphere Reserve in India) along with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the West, Bandipur National Park (Karnataka) in the North, Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley in the South.

• The name Mudumalai means ” the ancient hill range”. Indeed, it is as old as 65 million years when Western Ghats were formed.

Important Flora and Fauna

• Flora:
  
  • The Reserve has tall grasses, commonly referred to as ‘Elephant Grass'.
  • Bamboo of the giant variety, valuable timber species like Teak, Rosewood, etc.
  • There are several species of endemic flora.
• Fauna:
  
  • Flagship Species: Tiger and Asian Elephant.
  • Other species: Indian Gaur, Spotted Deer, Common Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat among others.
  • Birds:
    
    • Reserve has got a wide variety of more than 260 species of birds.
    • 8% of bird species found in India are recorded in Mudumalai.
    • This includes rare birds like Malabar grey hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, Malabar laughing thrush among others.

Other Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu

• Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR)
• Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR)
• Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR)

Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

• Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) lies in Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu.
• Vegetation types gradually change from dry thorn forest to dry deciduous.
• Mundanthurai Tiger Sanctuary was declared as Nation’s first Tiger Sanctuary during 1962, much before Tiger conservation was a national focus.
• Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1976 primarily for the conservation of Lion Tailed Macaque.
• River Thamirabarani and 13 other rivers originate from KMTR. Hence, KMTR is called popularly as River Sanctuary.

Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve

• Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) is located at the confluence region of Western and Eastern Ghats.
• This area holds a significant population of tiger, and it is also contiguous to other Tiger conservation landscapes like BRT, Bandipur, Mudumalai and Nagarahole.
• The region is also a part of Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats Elephant Reserve.
• It has got a high diversity of flora and fauna owing to its location. Apart from Tigers, the region is noted for Elephants, Gaur, Black Buck, Four Horned Antelope, White Backed Vulture, and a variety of other creatures.

Source: IE