Nawegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR)

About Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR):

• Location: It spans 653.67 sq.km. across the Gondia and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra.
• It is located in the heart of the central Indian Tiger Landscape, which contributes almost 1/6 of the total tiger population of the country.
• Declared a tiger reserve in 2013, it is the fifth tiger reserve in Maharashtra.
• NNTR is comprised of the notified areas of Nawegaon National Park, Nawegaon Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, New Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, and Koka Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It has linkages with Kanha, Pench, and Tadoba Tiger Reserves.
• Topography: The topography is undulating, and the highest point, viz. ‘Zenda Pahad’, is around 702 m above Mean Sea Level.
• Vegetation: Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous
• Flora: There are 364 species of plants, and the major trees are: Terminalia tomentosa, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Anogeisus lotifolia, Pterocarpus marsupium, Diospyrus melanoxylon, Ougeinia oogenesis, etc.
• Fauna: The major wild animals are: Tiger, Panther, Small Indian Civet, Palm Civet, Wolf, Jackal, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, Ratel, Common Giant Flying Squirrel, Gaur, Sambar, Chital, Four Horned Antelope, Mouse Deer, and Pangolin.

Q1: What is a Tiger Reserve?

Tiger Reserve is a legally declared protected area dedicated to the conservation of striped big cats. A tiger reserve, on the other hand, could be a national park or wildlife sanctuary. The Sariska Tiger Reserve, for example, is also a national park.

Source: Nagzira’s dominant tiger, T9, killed in fight for territory