Karnataka has 5 tiger reserves. These reserves play a crucial role in the conservation of Bengal tigers and their habitats.
Contents
1. Bandipur Tiger Reserve
- Bandipur Tiger Reserve is located in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts of Karnataka, India.
- It is situated at the tri-junction area of the States Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India.
- In 1931, Bandipur was initially established as a wildlife sanctuary by the Maharaja of Mysore.
- In 1973, Bandipur was designated as a tiger reserve.
- In 1985, by including adjacent areas from Venugopala Wildlife Park, Bandipur Tiger Reserve was enlargednand named as Bandipur National Park.
- In 1986, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was estbalished by the government of India. Bandipur Tiger Reserve is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- In 2000, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was included in World Network of Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
- Area: The total area of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve is 1456.309 square kilometers (562.156 square miles).
- Core/critical tiger habitat: 872.24 sq km
- Buffer/peripheral : 118.279 sq.km.
- Forest Area : 465.79 sq.km.
- Non Forest Area : (Total 584.069 sq.km.)
- Total : 1456.309 sq. kms.
- Hills: Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta is a prominent hill located in the reserve and the highest peak within the Bandipur Tiger Reserve area.
- Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta
- River: Bandipur Tiger Reserve is located between the Kabini river in the north and the Moyar river in the south.
- Kabini River
- Moyar River
- Nugu River
- Lake: Kabini Reservoir located within tiger reserve. The Kabini Reservoir is a man-made water body formed by the construction of the Kabini Dam on the Kabini River.
- Kabini Reservoir
- Tribe: One of the prominent tribal communities in the region is the Soliga tribe, also known as the Sholaga or Sholiga.
- Soliga Tribe
- Flora: Rosewood, Indian Kino Tree, Sandalwood, Indian Laurel, Bamboo etc.
- Fauna: Tiger, Indian Elephant, Indian Leopard, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Golden Jackal, Dhole, Sambar Deer, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Indian Rock Python, Monitor Lizard, Mugger Crocodile etc.
2. Bhadra Tiger Reserve
- Bhadra Tiger Reserve is located in Chikmagalur district and Shimoga district of Karnataka, India.
- In 1951, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
- was established under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
- In 1998, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuar
- y was declared as a tiger reserve.
- Area: Bhadra Tiger Reserve covers an area of approximately 500.16 square kilometers (193.11 square miles).
- Core: 500.16 Sq kms
- Buffer area : 571.84 Sq kms
- Total : 1072.00 Sq kms
- Hills: Some of hills and ranges located within tiger reserve:
- Lakkavalli Range
- Muthodi Range
- Mullayanagiri
- Gangegiri
- Hebbegiri
- Baba Budangiri Ranges
- River: The Bhadra Tiger Reserve is named after the Bhadra River, which flows through the tiger reserve.
- Lake: Bhadra Reservoir or Bhadra Lake situated within the tiger reserve. The reservoir is created by the Bhadra River through the construction of the Bhadra Dam.
- Tribe: The reserve area is inhabited by the Soliga tribe.
- Flora: Southern Moist Mixed Deciduous Forests (Terminalia tomentosa, Lagerstroemia lanccolata, Termmalia paniculata), Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forests(Pterocarpus marsupium, Grewia tilifolia, Bambusa arundinacea, Dendrocalamus strictus), Sholas etc.
- Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Leopard Cat, Dhole, Indian Civet, Gaur, Sambar, Barking Deer, Grey Junglefowl, Red Spurfowl, King Cobra, Marsh Crocodiles etc.
3. Kali Tiger Reserve
- The Kali Tiger Reserve is located in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India.
- It was earlier known as Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve.
- In 1956, the Government of Karnataka declared the area as a wildlife sanctuary.
- In 1987, the Anshi National Park was officially established.
- In 2007, Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park were together granted the status of tiger reserve, as ‘ Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve’ under Project Tiger.
- In 2015, Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve was renamed to Kali Tiger Reserve. The change of name was to bring focus and awareness to Kali River.
- Area: The Kali Tiger Reserve spans a total area of 1,345.7167 square kilometers (520.1348 square miles).
- Core: 814.884 Sq. Kms.
- Buffer: 530.8327 Sq. Kms.
- Total: 1345.7167 Sq. Kms.
- River: Kali Tiger Reserve is named after the Kali River, which flows through the reserve.
- Flora: South Indian Moist Deciduous Teak Forests (teakt, Lagerstroemia, Terminalia, and Pterocarpus), Southern Moist Mixed Deciduous Forests: (Terminalia, Palaquium, Hopea, and Dipterocarpus), West Coast Semi-evergreen Forests (Dipterocarpus, Mesua, Cullenia, and Calophyllum), Bamboo etc.
- Fauna: Tiger, Black Panther, Leopard, Elephant, Bison, Wild Dog, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Sloth Bear, Malabar Pied Hornbill, King Cobra, Monitor Lizard etc.
- Kali Tiger Reserve is home to rare Black Panthers.
4. Nagarhole Tiger Reserve
- Nagarhole Tiger Reserve is located in Kodagu and Mysore district of Karnataka in India.
- It is also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park.
- It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- In 1955, Nagarhole was declared a wildlife sanctuary.
- In 1988, the sanctuary declared as a Nagarhole National Park.
- In 1999, Nagarhole National Park was declared a tiger reserve as part of the Project Tiger initiative.
- In 2000, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was recognized by UNESCO as a World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The tiger reserve is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- Area: Nagarhole Tiger Reserve spans an area of approximately 643 square kilometers (248 square miles).
- Core: 643.35 sq. km
- Buffer: Forest: 200.57 sq. km
- Buffer: – Non-Forest: 361.84 sq. km
- Total: 1205.76 Sq.km.
- River: The Nagarahole River flows through the tiger reserve, and joins the Kabini River. The Kabini River forms a natural boundary between Nagarhole Tiger Reserve and the Bandipur National Park.
- Nagarahole River
- Lake: Water bodies found in the reserve are:
- Kabini Reservoir
- Taraka Reservoir
- Flora: Dry Deciduous Forests (teak, rosewood, sandalwood, Indian kino tree, Indian gooseberry, and Indian laurel), Tropical Moist Forests (bamboo, silver oak, Indian Kino tree, black dammar, and ficus), Semi-Evergreen Forests (Honne, Karanj, Nandi, and Eucalyptus), Grasslands and Swamps etc.
- Fauna: Tiger, Asian Elephants, Chital, Indian Mouse Deer, Gaur, Asian Wild Dog, Leopard, Sloth Bear, White-rumped Vulture, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Indian Monitor, Mugger Crocodile etc.
5. Biligiri Ranganatha Temple Tiger Reserve
- The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve is located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka State.
- This unique Bio-geographical habitat is in the middle of the bridge between Western and Eastern ghats in South India.
- It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- In 1974, the area surrounding the Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple was declared a wildlife sanctuary.
- In 2011, the wildlife sanctuary was upgraded to the status of a tiger reserve, becoming the Biligiri Ranganatha Temple Tiger Reserve.
- Area: The Biligiri Ranganatha Temple Tiger Reserve covers an area of approximately 574.82 square kilometers (221.99 square miles).
- Core Area : 359.10 sq kms
- Buffer Area : 215.72 sq kms
- Total : 574.82 sq kms
- Hills: The Biligiri Ranganatha Temple Tiger Reserve is located in the Biligiri Ranganatha Hills, which are part of the Eastern Ghats mountain range.
- Flora: Southern Tropical Evergreen Forests (Anogeissus latifolia, Dalbergia paniculata,Terminalia alata and Syzygium cumini), Southern Tropical Semi-evergreen Forests (Buchanania lanzan, Careya arborea, and Sterculia villosa), Southern Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests (Cassia fistula, Boswellia serrata, Lagerstroemia parviflora, and Pterocarpus marsupium) etc.
- Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Wild dog, Lesser cat, Sloth Bear, Elephant, Gaur, Sambhar, Spotted Deer, Yellow Throated Bulbul, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Malabar Pit Viper, Monitor Lizards etc.