Maharashtra gets its fifth tiger reserve

Maharashtra will soon have its fifth tiger reserve in Nagzira following approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, a senior official said here.

The Nagzira tiger reserve--between Bhandara and Gondia districts-- would be home to surplus tigers from Tadoba, Principal Secretary (Forests) Praveen Pardeshi told reporters here. He said there are already four tiger reserves in Melghat, Tadoba, Pench and Sahyadri located in western Maharashtra. "The tigers which wander outside their territory from Tadoba would go in Nagzira-Navegaon tiger reserve," Pardeshi said.

Earlier, the area of Nagzira sanctuary was 150 sq kilometer while that of Navegaon national park was of 130 square kilometer. "We increased it to 700 sq kilometer to form a new tiger reserve," he added.

"In Nagzira alone there are around twenty tigers whereas in Tadoba there are more than 100 tigers," the official said.

The state government has already issued a notification on the new tiger reserve.