Maharashtra forest dept is mulling over converting 100 sq km between Satara and Raigad to a WLS to salvage dwindling wild cat numbers
To serve as a vital link to parts of the northern Western Ghats and increase the prey base for tigers in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR), the state forest department is planning to convert forest area in Satara and Raigad to a wildlife sanctuary.
The STR is the only tiger reserve in Western Maharashtra and is spread over an 1,165.56 sq km landscape over the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) and Chandoli National Park. However, it suffers from lack of adequate tiger numbers — it has just five to seven tigers with no resident big cats due to reasons like an inadequate herbivore base.
Located towards the main ridge of the Sahyadris, Jor and Jambhali areas in Satara are connected to the STR’s Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. They form an an important link between STR and the forests in Pune’s Bhor. It is one of the last known areas in the northern part of the ghats with resident populations of leopards, sloth bear and Indian Gaur.
Converting this semi-evergreen rain forest between the foothills of Mahabaleshwar, Koleshwar and Rayreshwar ranges, into a protected area will ensure better protection, conservation and wildlife management. It will also curb activities like commercial real-estate development and rampant grazing by domesticated animals.
“We are exploring the possibility of creating a protected area,” V Clement Ben, chief conservator of forests (CCF) and field director of STR, told DNA. He added they would also include a contiguous patch in neighboring Raigad’s Mahad Taluka to create an around 100 sq km sanctuary. With Jor-Jambhali is spread over around 55 sq km, and a patch in Mahad, the departments plans to cull out a 100 sq km wildlife sanctuary in the region.
Wildlife researcher Shrikar Ashtaputre noted that the area had around 25 identified species of mammals including the Indian gaur, hyena, sloth bear, jackals, wolves, pangolins, leopard cats, leopards and wild dogs. It has a good presence of gaur, sambar, and wild dogs.
“At present, the northern Western Ghats are disconnected. Declaring this as a wildlife sanctuary will help develop it as STR’s northern corridor,” said Ashtaputre, who conducted camera trapping in the area for three years.
“If a healthy wildlife population has to be developed there, the source population will come from the south,” Ashtaputre explained. He said that the habitat could be developed up to Pune’s Tamhini ghat. This will also enhance the STR’s tiger population.
DUE PROCESS
- Once the initial draft is prepared, it will be sent to CCF (Territorial), Kolhapur. The proposal will then be discussed in the meeting of the Maharashtra State Wildlife Board, which is chaired by the chief minister and has the forest minister as a member.
- At present, Maharashtra’s 59 protected areas (national parks, WLS and conservation reserves) cover over 10,000 sq km (about 3.5%) of the state’s geographical area.
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