Sun Nov 17 17:15:46 UTC 2024: **Karnataka Delays Designation of Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary as Core Tiger Habitat**
**Mysuru, November 17, 2024** – A year after the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recommended designating the entire Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary as a core and critical area of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, the Karnataka government has yet to act.
Following a site visit in November 2023, the NTCA’s Assistant Inspector-General of Forests, Harini Venugopal, submitted a report highlighting the sanctuary’s ecological importance as an inviolate habitat for tigers and elephants. The report urged the state government to formally designate Nugu as core and critical tiger habitat to ensure long-term wildlife conservation and protect ecological corridors. This recommendation followed concerns raised by wildlife conservationist Giridhar Kulkarni.
The NTCA subsequently wrote to Karnataka’s Chief Wildlife Warden on December 4, 2024, requesting action and an “action taken report.” However, the government remains unresponsive.
While Nugu Sanctuary is relatively small (30.32 sq km), it is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and a crucial component of the larger tiger landscape encompassing Bandipur and Nagarahole in Karnataka, Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu, and Wayanad in Kerala. Mr. Kulkarni emphasizes the urgent need for the designation, stating it is essential to protect the habitat from detrimental activities. The 2022 All India Tiger Estimation further supports the need for the designation by confirming the presence of tigers and elephants within the sanctuary. The delay in implementing the NTCA’s recommendation raises concerns about the conservation efforts in this vital area.
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