Context

• Recently, Two tiger reserves in Tamil Nadu earn Global CA|TS recognition. They are Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

Key Details on the Global CA|TS recognition

• Anamalai Tiger Reserve located at Pollachi near Coimbatore, one of the largest landscapes in the south of Palghat Gap with 4000 sq km of protected area.
  • A protected area located in the Anaimalai Hills of Pollachi and Valparai taluks of Coimbatore District and Udumalaipettai taluk in Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu,
  • The tribes are the Kadars, Malasars, Malaimalasar s, Pulaiyars, Muduvars and the Eravallan (Eravalar). Malai Malasars are a primitive tribal group endemic to Anamalais alone.
  • Earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (IGWLS&NP) and previously as Aanaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • The biogeographical classification of the country includes Western Ghats which are considered as one of eight “hottest hot spots”.
• Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris, a bio-diversity hotspot of the Western Ghats have now earned a global elite tag in tiger conservation.
  • It lies in the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills in Nilgiri District, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-west of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
  • It shares boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala.
  • It is one of the premiere tiger reserves in India alongside Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • The dominant type of habitat found in the Mudumalai National Park is Tropical moist forest. Tropical dry forest and scrub forests are also found here.
• It is the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS) status, a conservation tool for best practices and standards to manage tigers.
• Only 14 reserves made the cut including Parambikulam in Kerala, Bandipur in Karnataka, and Manas, Kaziranga and Orang in Assam, for the accreditation exercise by India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority under CATS. 
• Well-known reserves like Corbett, Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh did not get the tag.
• The 14 tiger reserves which have been accredited are Manas, Kaziranga and Orang in Assam, Satpura, Kanha and Panna in Madhya Pradesh, Pench in Maharashtra, Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar, Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh,Sunderbans in West Bengal, Parambikulam in Kerala, Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka and Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.

• Tiger Reserves in TamilNadu

  • Srivilliputhur – Megamalai Tiger Reserve (2021)

  • Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (2013–14)

  • Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (2008–09)

  • Anamalai Tiger Reserve (2008–09)

  • Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (1988–89)

Back to Basics

About Global CA|TS recognition

• Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) has been agreed upon as accreditation tool by the global coalition of Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) and has been developed by tiger and protected area experts.
• Officially launched in 2013, it sets minimum standards for effective management of target species and encourages assessment of these standards in relevant conservation areas.
• CA|TS is a set of criteria which allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation.

Source : The Hindu

Protected Areas in News 2021 : Click Here