| Kali Tiger Reserve | |
|---|---|
 Kali River flowing through the reserve | |
  Location in Karnataka, India Show map of Karnataka Kali Tiger Reserve (India) Show map of India | |
 Interactive map of Kali Tiger Reserve | |
| Location | Uttara Kannada district,Karnataka,India |
| Nearest city | Dandeli |
| Coordinates | 15°1′N74°23′E / 15.017°N 74.383°E /15.017; 74.383 |
| Area | 1,345.5827 km2 (519.5324 sq mi) |
| Established | 2 September 1987 |
| Governing body | Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Karnataka |
| Official website | |
Kali Tiger Reserve (formerlyDandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve) is aprotected area andtiger reserve. It is located inUttara Kannada district, inKarnataka,India. The park is a habitat ofBengal tigers,black panthers andIndian elephants, amongst other distinctive fauna. TheKali River flows through the tiger reserve and is the lifeline of the ecosystem and hence the name. The tiger reserve is spread over an area of 1300 square kilometres.
The forest in the area was declared the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary on 10 May 1956. The state proposed carving out a section of the sanctuary to form the Anshi national park, which was implemented on 2 September 1987.[1] The initial proposal covered 250 square kilometres. When the final notification of the park area was issued in 2002, it was extended by another 90 square kilometres.
It was renamed to Kali Tiger Reserve in December 2015. The park is home to several hydroelectric dams and a nuclear power station.[2]
It is notable that Anshi National Park and Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary were together granted the status ofProject Tigertiger reserve, being declared as 'Anshi Dandeli Tiger Reserve' in January, 2007.[3] The 340 km2 (130 sq mi) Anshi park adjoins theDandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, and together with six adjacentprotected areas in the states of Goa andMaharashtra, forms an almost uninterrupted protected forest area of over 2,200 km2 (850 sq mi).
In December 2015, Dandeli Anshi Tiger reserve was renamed to Kali Tiger Reserve (JOIDA).[4] The river Kali is the lifeline of the people of Uttara Kannada district and integrates Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary (DWS) spread across 400 km2 and Anshi National Park (ANP) spread across 500 km2. The river cuts across the whole park and the renaming has given the area a single identity. The change of name was also to bring focus and awareness toKali River. The name change was prompted following a universal response from policymakers after the release of the movieKali[5][6] which brought to importance the role of Kali River to the ecosystem.
Located in theWestern Ghats range from 14°54' to 15°07' N latitude and 74°16' to 74°30' E longitude, Kali Tiger Reserve'selevation varies from 27–1,059 m (89–3,474 ft) aboveMSL. Despite high rainfall in this area, water holes go dry very early in the summer because the soil islaterite, with minimal water-holding capacity.[7]
The management of National parks and sanctuaries in the state is the responsibility of thePrincipal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife). Kali Tiger Reserve is headed by the Director of the Park who is also the Chief Conservator of Forests.
The park is in theecoregions ofNorth Western Ghats montane rain forests andNorth Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, both of which are deemed endangered by theWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).[8] The forests have highbiodiversity.
Some common trees and plants here include:bintangur,Calophyllum wightianum,Malabar tamarind,Garcinia morella,Knema attenuata,Hopea wightiana,Tetrameles nudiflora,blackboard tree,Flacourtia montana,Machilus macrantha,Carallia brachiata,aini-maram,Artocarpus lacucha,true cinnamon,bamboo,bauhinia,eucalyptus,lantana,silver oak,teak andjamba.[9]
Theblack panther,[10] elephants and tigers live in the park but are rarely seen. Other largemammals here areIndian bison,sloth bear,Indian wild boar,bonnet macaque,northern plains grey langur,grey slender loris, several deer including:barking deer (muntjac),mouse deer (chevrotain),sambar deer andspotted deer (chital or axis deer).
Wild dog,jackal,jungle cat,leopard cat,small Indian civet,Indian grey mongoose,flying squirrel,porcupine,Malabar civet,Indian giant squirrel andpangolin also make their home in the forests here.
Reptiles in the park include theking cobra,spectacled cobra,Russell's viper,saw-scaled viper,common krait,Indian rock python,rat snake,vine snake, green orbamboo pit viper andmonitor lizards.
Interesting birds include thegreat hornbill,Malabar pied hornbill,Malabar grey hornbill,Indian grey hornbill andAsian fairy bluebird.Around 200 species ofbirds are recorded in the park. These include the distinctiveadjutant stork,ashy woodswallow,brahminy kite,crested serpent eagle,great hornbill,golden-backed woodpecker,Malabar pied hornbill,Sri Lanka frogmouth andyellow-footed green pigeon.[9]
The best months to visit are October to May. The park is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Thenature camp at Kulgi has accommodations available in tents (two beds each), deluxe tents (two beds each), and a dormitory with 16 beds. The climate is quite humid year around. The usual plans are visiting the Bird Trail, Mammal trail in Kulgi which is a 3-km walk. The water sports like Jacuzzi, boating, rafting, and canoeing can be planned in the river Kali, and trekking the extremely beautiful Dudhsagar waterfalls by a 20-km trek is also available.Also note many roads within Anshi national park ( Kali Tiger Reserve )are closed to vehicular traffic from evening 6 P.M to morning 6 A.M like Kulgi to Bhagavathi via Ambikanagar, Anmod toHemmadaga andUlavi toPotoli. Also many dams are built across river Kali which criss crosses within tiger reserve.Signboards are written inKannada the state language and English.
Dandeli is the nearby town adjoining sanctuaries which has daily bus services toDharwad,Hubballi,Belagavi andBengaluru.Visiting the eco interests inGoa is optional. The local vegetarian food is served.[11]
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