The attempts of the Kerala Forest Department to notify the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary as the third Tiger Reserve in the State was rejected at the recently held State Wildlife Advisory Board due to public resistance.
Geography:
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary in Wayanad, Kerala.
The sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
It is bounded by protected area network of Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka in the northeast, and on the southeast by Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu.
Tiger population:
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is home to more than half the number of tigers present in Kerala.
The Status of Tigers in India report released last year had estimated the tiger population of Wayanad as between 75 and 80 individuals. Periyar Tiger Reserve, the first one in Kerala, has an estimated population of 30 to 35 big cats whereas Parambikulam, the second reserve, has a population of 20 to 25 tigers.
There are five Tiger Reserves in the neighbouring States that share boundaries with Wayanad.
Its notification as a tiger reserve would ensure financial aid from the Centre and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and better conservation and management of the tiger population.
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