Habitat corridor

Subject: Environment

Context:

The Assam government has approved the addition of 30.53 sq km to the 884 sq km Kaziranga National Park.

Concept:

• The additions are habitat corridors and would help provide connectivity to Orang and Nameri National Parks across river Brahmaputra from KNPTR besides the hills of KarbiAnglong to the south of the park, where the rhino, tiger, deer and other animals take refuge during the floods
• A wildlife corridor is a link of wildlife habitat, generally native vegetation, which joins two or more larger areas of similar wildlife habitat.
• Corridors are critical for the maintenance of ecological processes including allowing for the movement of animals and the continuation of viable populations.
• By providing landscape connections between larger areas of habitat, corridors enable migration, colonisation and interbreeding of plants and animals.