The fifth tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu, notified on February 8, is crucial in two respects. It will maintain vital forest contiguity between the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala and the Kanniyakumari forests in the extreme south. It will be an extremely important buffer for the spill-over tigers of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. In the petition, the activists said a high ridge that divides the Periyar Tiger Reserve and the Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve is the core zone of both reserves covered with dense, evergreen forests. The activists alleged that this is a blatant violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act in a critical tiger habitat, that too, within 20 days of the tiger reserve having been notified.

Source: The Hindu June 05, 2021 20:30 UTC