TN to have two additional tiger reserves

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu will now have five tiger reserves with the addition of Meghamalai area in Theni district and Sathyamangalam in Erode district, according to chief wildlife warden Rakesh Vasisht.

Vaishisht disclosed this during a workshop on Tamil Nadu State Environment Policy here on Thursday. Tamil Nadu currently has three tiger reserve which include Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) Tirunelveli, Top Slip in Pollachi and Mudumalai.

He said the proposal to have a tiger reserve in Sathyamangalam has been sent and there are plans to set up another one at Meghamalai are in Theni district.

Vashisht said currently the state has 166 tigers and is ranked fifth behind Maharashtra which has 169 tigers. Interestingly, when it comes to conservation, the state has added 87 tigers, the highest number among the states when compared with last census.

He said this is a big achievement for the state when compared with other provinces as it has forest area below that of other states.

He highlighted that the state environment policy should also protect the eco-sensitive zone. He also highlighted that the state is rigidly following the guidelines and has rejected lot of industry proposals in a bid to conserve the biodiversity of the state.