Sathyamangalam Reserve bags award for doubling tiger population

“The TX2 awards celebrate the contributions made by government bodies, NGOs, and local communities to strengthen tiger conservation. To honour a recently notified tiger reserve like Sathyamangalam is a step forward to inspire others to work towards preserving this magnificent species and its habitats,” said Ravi Singh, secretary-general and CEO, WWF India.

Apart from STR, the Bardia National Park in Nepal has won this year’s TX2 award for doubling its big cat population.

Sugoto Roy, coordinator, Integrated Tiger Habitat Programme, IUCN, said, “Successful tiger conservation involves continuous management and improvement of habitats, 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.”

“It is a piece of good news for the staff at STR, but these awards should be taken with caution as once the tiger reserve becomes a conducive habitat for tigers and leopards they attract poachers increasing crime rates, ”said a TN forest officer who had also served in STR pointing out that the reserve is an important link between Western and Eastern ghats.

STR also bagged the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s prestigious award for better tiger management measures in 2019 from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the official recalled. “The award conferred by Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS), Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Global Tiger Forum (GTF), IUCN’s Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHCP), Panthera, UNDP, The Lion’s Share, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and WWF says the TX2 awards is to celebrate the 10th anniversary of all 13 Tiger Range countries committed globally to double wild tigers by 2022,” said a statement from WWF.

Sathyamangalam was declared a tiger reserve in 2013 and is connected to other well-established tiger habitats like Mudumalai Tiger reserve, Bandipur Tiger reserve and BR Hills tiger reserve. The adjoining areas like Erode forest division, Coimbatore forest division and Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary are also emerging as important tiger habitats, creating a mosaic that allows big cats to easily move in search of food and new territory, the statement added.