Bandipur to get a new research institute

By Nischith N | NT

Bengaluru: Bandipur Tiger Reserve may soon get a research centre institute to promote monitoring of wildlife and assess the population of rare endangered and threatened species.

According to the sources, the officials have sent a proposal to the head office in this regard. If approved, the state will get a ‘Wildlife Research, Monitoring & Training Centre’. This centre will promote adaptive experimental research, which provides solutions to the forest officials’ problems in the field and field stations for wildlife research in the Mysuru region.

Dr Ramesh Kumar P, Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, told New Trail, “We had a meeting with the minister recently. Slowly things are getting into normal stages and we have plans of starting a jumbo safari. Now in the same way we have just sent a proposal to the department for this new initiative of the research centre.”

This is to find solutions for the challenges which we are facing in the field. It will also promote wildlife training to the frontline staff, college students, wildlife biologist and research students and promote it as a wildlife learning centre for Mysuru-Malnad region, he added.

Kar nataka stands second in the number of tigers and Bandipur is one of the major reserves for the big cat. The state is home to 560 tigers and 400 leopards in all its reserve forests. There are also 6,800 elephants in the state.

Among national parks, Bandipur has the second highest tiger population in India. Located in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district, Bandipur is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve that is spread over Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is the largest protected area in Southern India and largest habitat of Wild Elephants in South Asia. Other than Bandipur, the sanctuaries that come under Nilgiri Biosphere include Nagarhole, Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Silent Valley National Park, Aralam, Wayanad, Karimpuzha and Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaries.