NAVEGAON-NAGZIRA TIGER RESERVE

ChinmayaIAS Academy - Current Affairs April 12, 2021 GS3 Leave a comment 638 Views

Three labourers were killed and two others injured during an operation to douse a forest fire at Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) in Maharashtra.

Important points:

It is situated in Gondia and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra.
Gondia District shares common boundaries with the state of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the north and eastern side respectively.
Strategically, the Tiger Reserve is located in the heart of central Indian Tiger landscape which contributes almost one sixth of the total tiger population of the country.
It was notified as the 46th Tiger Reserve of India in December 2013.
NNTR comprised of the notified area of Nawegaon National Park, Nawegaon Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, New Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary and Koka Wildlife Sanctuary.
NNTR has connectivity with the major tiger reserves in Central India like,
Kanha and Pench tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh,
Tadoba-Andhari Tiger reserve in Maharashtra,
Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh,
Indirectly with the Kawal and Nagarjuna Sagar in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and, Achanakmar Tiger reserve in Chhattisgarh.
It is also connected to important tiger bearing areas like Umred-Karhandla sanctuary and Brahampuri Division (Maharashtra).
The major forest type is “Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest”.
Few thorny plants are also found.
Bamboo occurs in abundance.
Large Carnivores such as leopards and smaller carnivores like wild dogs, wolf jackals, jungle cats and also the good population of sloth bears are seen.
The important herbivore includes Cheetal, Sambar, Nilgai, Chousingha, Barking deer, Wild pig and Indian gaur. Mouse deer has also been recorded from the area.
More than 300 species of birds have been reported from the area.