Prelims: Environment (Tiger Reserves, Species in News ), Spotted Deer, Kali River, Kali Tiger Reserve.
Mains: General Studies-III, Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Why in the News ?
As many as 40 spotted deer (axis axis) have been translocated from Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysuru Zoo) to the Panasoli range of Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) recently.
Source: DTE
Key Facts 🗝️
Spotted Deer:
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern (LC)
📌 FYI on Prelims
- River Kali is located in Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka.
- Tributaries of Kali include, Pandrali, Kali, Tattihala, Vaki, Kaneri, Thananala, Kariholé and many more.
About:
Spotted Deer
- The spotted deer, or chital/ cheetal is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent.
- It is the most common deer species in Indian forests.
- Distribution: It is widely distributed in Asia, especially in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and a small group in Pakistan.
- Habitat: Subtropical grasslands and forests
- Features:
- With a lifespan of about 20 to 30 years, it stands at about 35 inches tall and weighs about 187 pounds.
- It is a slightly reddish brown with white spots on its body.
- Only males have antlers, and their bodies are larger than females.
- Spotted Deers are social animals. They commonly occur in herds of 10 to 50 individuals.
- They mainly feed on grasses throughout the year. Their diets include herbs, shrubs, foliage, and fruits.
Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR)
- Location: Kali Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, is located in the central portion of the Uttara Kannada (North Canara) district of Karnataka state.
- It comprises two important protected areas of the region, viz., Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park.
- Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary (475.018 sq. km) and Anshi National Park (339.866 sq. km) are contiguous to each other and form a single tract of protected area located in the biologically sensitive Western Ghats.
- River: The Kali River, which forms the major source of water for Uttara Kannada, flows through the tiger reserve, hence the name.
- Vegetation: Forests are primarily moist deciduous and semi-evergreen, with excellent patches of evergreen forests in the westernmost parts as well as in deep valleys.
- Flora: The complex floral tapestry comprises hardwood trees like teak, silver oak, Malabar tamrind, jamba, lantana, bamboo, shrubbery, and dense vegetative undergrowth on the floor.
- Fauna: Prominent species are the Asiatic elephant, tiger, leopard, gaur, chevrotain, spotted deer, barking deer, sloth bear, dhole, jungle and leopard cat, Malabar civet, and giant civet.
UPSC CSE EXAMS Corner
Prelims: PYQ/FAQ
Q. Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (2020)
A) Corbett
B) Ranthambore
C) Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam
D) Sundarbans
Ans: c. Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam
Explaination:
- Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH), also known as core areas of tiger reserves, are identified under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 based on scientific evidence that “such areas are required to be kept as inviolative for the purpose of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of the Scheduled Tribes or such other forest dwellers”.
- The CTHs are notified by the state government in consultation with the expert committee constituted for the purpose.
- Area of the Core/Critical Tiger Habitat
- Corbett (Uttarakhand): 821.99 sq. Kms
- Ranthambore (Rajasthan): 1113.36 sq. Kms
- Sundarbans (West Bengal): 1699.62 sq. Kms
- Nagarjunsagar Srisailam (part of Andhra Pradesh): 2595.72 sq. Kms
