Male Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

Source: DH

Context: Five tigers — a mother and four cubs — were found dead in Karnataka’s Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, raising serious concerns about poisoning, wildlife conflict, and tiger conservation lapses.

About Male Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Located in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, near the Eastern Ghats tri-junction of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

• Declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2013 and managed under the MM Hills Wildlife Division, which was formerly the Kollegal Forest Division.

• Geography and Ecosystem:

• Covers an area of approximately 906 sq km. Geographically contiguous with: BRT Tiger Reserve Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary Terrain comprises hill ranges, undulating valleys, and altitudinal variation, creating microhabitats.

• Covers an area of approximately 906 sq km.

• Geographically contiguous with: BRT Tiger Reserve Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

• BRT Tiger Reserve

• Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve

• Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

• Terrain comprises hill ranges, undulating valleys, and altitudinal variation, creating microhabitats.

• Flora: Dominated by dry and moist deciduous forests, degrading to scrub at fringes.

• Pockets of semi-evergreen, evergreen, and shola forests at higher altitudes.

• Fauna:

• Rich megafauna includes: Tigers, elephants, leopards, gaur, wild dogs (dhole) Herbivores: sambar, barking deer, spotted deer, four-horned antelope Omnivores and others: sloth bear, wild boar, honey badger, langurs Sanctuary has seen a steady rise in tiger population since 2013.

• Tigers, elephants, leopards, gaur, wild dogs (dhole)

• Herbivores: sambar, barking deer, spotted deer, four-horned antelope

• Omnivores and others: sloth bear, wild boar, honey badger, langurs

• Sanctuary has seen a steady rise in tiger population since 2013.

• Tiger Reserve Proposal:

• Yet to be notified as a Tiger Reserve, despite ecological suitability.