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HomeEnvironmentSathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in TN wins TX2 Award for doubling tiger population

Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in TN wins TX2 Award for doubling tiger population

The area of the tiger reserve in Erode, which houses 80 tigers, is contiguous with the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve and BR Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary.

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New Delhi: The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu was Tuesday awarded the prestigious international TX2 Award for doubling its tiger population since 2010.

Nepal’s Bardia National Park was also jointly conferred the award, for doubling its population of wild tigers.

The TX2 Award is given to reserves that achieve a “remarkable and measurable increase in its tiger population since 2010”. It is presented by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) along with Conservation Assured Tiger Standards, Fauna and Flora International, Global Tiger Forum, IUCN’s Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme, Panthera, United Nations Development Programme, The Lion’s Share, and Wildlife Conservation Society.

Set in 2010 by the 13 tiger range countries, the goal known as TX2 is credited with reversing the downward decline of tigers from a low of 3,200, thanks to outstanding examples of protected area management, according to its website.

The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve is located in Erode district, and now houses 80 tigers in its 1408 sq. km campus. Its area is contiguous with the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) and BR Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). Together, these reserves — forming the Nilgiris biosphere landscape — have the biggest tiger population in the world, at over 280 tigers.

The reserve is also located close to the Erode forest division, Coimbatore forest division and Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, which are emerging tiger hotspots.

“The TX2 Awards celebrate the remarkable contributions made by government bodies, NGOs, and local communities to strengthen tiger conservation. To honour a recently notified Tiger Reserve like Sathyamangalam with the award is a step forward to inspire others to work towards preserving this magnificent species and its habitats,” Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF India, said in a statement.

“Successful tiger conservation involves continuous management and improvement of habitats at the landscape scale, rigorous monitoring of tigers and their prey, and working extensively with local communities. All of these criteria have been met with excellence, giving us these globally significant results,” IUCN Coordinator Sugoto Roy said in a statement.

India’s progress with tigers

India is among the 13 countries with tiger reserves that decided, in 2010, to double their tiger populations by 2022.

India’s own Project Tiger was first launched in 1973 to promote the conservation of tigers. The National Tiger Conservation Authority is in charge of overseeing Project Tiger.

According to the latest tiger census from 2018, India has around 2,967 tigers.

In 2020, Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit Tiger Reserve was awarded the first TX2 Award for having doubled its tiger population before the stipulated time frame. In 2014, it housed 25 tigers. This figure went up to 65 in 2018.


Also read: India replicating its successful tiger conservation model for other animals: Minister


 

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