Where is Nagarahole Park situated and why its important?

Subject: Environment

Context:

The Forest Department is going to have traffic monitoring mechanism along the roads adjacent to Nagarahole National Park to ensure better compliance of forest laws by motorists and to minimise road kills.

Concept:

• Nagarahole is named after Nagarahole (Cobra river in the local language, Kannada), a winding river which runs eastwards through its centre. Situated in the two districts of Mysore and Kodagu in the state of Karnataka.
• It was originally constituted into a sanctuary in the year 1955 and given the status of a National Park in 1983.
• It is located to the north-west of Bandipur National Park and the Kabini reservoir separates the two parks.
• Nagarahole National Park forms a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and together with Bandipur National Park (875 sq. kms) and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (325 sq. kms) to its South East and Wayanad (350 sq. kms) to the South-West
• It is one of the last remaining and best protected habitats for endangered species like the Elephant and the Tiger.
• The vegetation in this park predominantly comprises of moist, tropical and mixed deciduous forest, with some portions being the dry deciduous type. Rosewood, Sandalwood, Teakwood and Silver Oak are some of the more commercially important and easily available trees in this area.