Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR)

About Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR):

• Location:
  • It is situated in two contiguous districts (Mysore and Chamarajanagar) of Karnataka and located at the tri-junction area of the States of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
  • Geographically, it is an “ecological confluence” of the Western and Eastern Ghats.
• History:
  • It was once a hunting ground for the rulers of the neighbouring kingdom of Mysore.
  • It was established in the year 1931 as Venugopala Wildlife Park by the Maharaja of Mysore.
  • It was then expanded with the name Bandipur Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1973.
• It is part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• BTR is surrounded by:
  • Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) in the North West (Kabini Reservoir separates the two).
  • Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) in the South.
  • Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the South West.
• Rivers: It is surrounded by River Kabini in its north and River Moyar in its south.
• Climate: Bandipur has a typical tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons.
• Flora:
  • It comprises diverse vegetation of dry deciduous to tropical mixed deciduous.
  • It includes rosewood, Indian kino tree, sandalwood, Indian laurel, clumping bamboo and giant clumping bamboo etc.
• Fauna:
  • It is a shelter for the largest population of wild Asian elephants in South Asia. 
  • It comprises other mammals such as Bengal tiger, gaur, sloth bear, golden jackal, dhole and four-horned antelope etc.

Q1) What is an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ)?

Also known as Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs), these are areas in India notified and regulated by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of shock absorbers to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.

Source: Forest Department directs ESZ monitoring committee to take action against illegal cottages in Bandipur Tiger Reserve