Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

Subject – Environment

Context – ‘Using scientific techniques, local expertise to track T23’

Concept –

• Mudumalai National Park is a national park in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu, south India, covering 321 km2 (124 sq mi).
• It is located in the Nilgiri District and shares boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala.
• It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and was a declared tiger reserve in 2007.
  • It is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1st Biosphere Reserve in India) along with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) in the West, Bandipur National Park (Karnataka) in the North, Mukurthi National Park and Silent Valley in the South.
• The protected area harbours several endangered and vulnerable species including Bengal tiger, Indian elephant, Gaur and Indian leopard.
• Mudumalai National Park harbours 266 bird species, including Indian white-rumped vulture and long-billed vulture.
• It is bordered in the north by Bandipur National Park, in the east by Sigur Reserve Forest and in the west by Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. In the south, it is bordered by Singara Reserve Forest.
• The Moyar River and its tributaries drain this area, and several artificial waterholes provide drinking water for wildlife during dry seasons.
  • The river Moyar, which flows along the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, divides the two states. The Park is bisected by the Mysore-Ooty highway, which follows the direction of the Moyar River, which divides Mudumalai and Bandipur.
• Flagship Species: Tiger and Asian Elephant.
• The Reserve has tall grasses, commonly referred to as ‘Elephant Grass’.
• Tropical Evergreen Forest, Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest, Moist Teak Forest, Dry Teak Forest, Secondary Grasslands, Shrubs, and Swamps are among the habitats found here.