The protection of habitats and corridors is decisive for distraction of tigers and their long -term preservation. | Photo Credit: Ma Sriram
Bandipur and Nagarahole represent more than 75 percent of all tigers across five reservations in the state, emphasizing their importance as critical habitats to maintain this iconic species.
The Karnataka Forest Department said there were 393 tigers in five tigers – Bandipur, Nagarahole, Biligiri Ranganthaswamy Temple (BT), Bhadra and Kali Tiger Reserve – according to the population of 2024 IV.
Tigers’ population in each reserve suggests that Bandipur with 154 tigers and Nagarahole with 149 tigers represents 303 out of 393 tigers across these reserves and reaffirms their position of key tiger stations in Karnataka.
Reserve BRT Tiger Reserve recorded 39 tigers, while Bhadra and Kali reserves showed 29 and 22 tigers.
Although the number of tigers across all reserves is lower than in 2023, when 408 tigers were reported, higher officials claim that less fluctuation in numbers is not a reason for concern.
In 2023, Bandipur represented 158 tigers, while Nagarahole had 140 tigers. Brt Tiger Reserve announced 45 tigers, while Bhadra had 36 and Kali 29.
Phase IV population exercises, carried out by traps on cameras, reflect a consistent trend in the trends of tigers in Karnataka, and is also evident in the results of the ALL-India Tiger estimates, which was carried out every four years by the National Tiger Protection Authority (NTCA).
RAMESH KUMAR, forest conservator, Tiger project, said the high density of prey in Bandipur and Nagarahole helped support the tiger population. In addition, both reserves played a key role in ensuring the overall success of the Tiger protection in India, he said.
However, experts believe that both national parks have achieved their saturation and a challenge is to ensure that there is no increase in the animal conflicts around these two tiger reserves.
This is because both Bandipur and Nagarahole have more than 120 villages along the periphery of a forest periphery that supports a large human population.
Therefore, they demanded an expansion of the tiger station by providing corridors and allowing tigers to distract to other protected areas, such as MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
This, as they said, would not only ensure long -term tigers, but also ensured that there was a gene transfer between different groups of tigers populations that eliminate the inbreeding risk.
In order to do this, however, the authorities should abandon unregulated and unrestrained travel activities, such as opening new Safari routes, except for unauthorized centers and families that will spread around tigers according to activists.
There is also a challenge to ensure 24/7 protection and strengthening anti -diving measures and strengthening anti -diving camps, especially in MM Hills and Cauvera Wildlife Sanctuaries, as they may act as a sink in the future to absorb the growth of tigers from Bandipur, BT and Nagarahole.
Published – March 28, 2025 20:50
