CHENNAI: Decks cleared for the 18th wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu as the state government has issued a gazette notification to notify Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Anthiyur taluk of Erode district.
The gazette notification is based on an announcement made in the state budget in March 2023.
As per the notification, the new wildlife sanctuary will cover an area of 80,567 hectares of North Bargur reserved forest, South bargur reserved forest, Thamaraikarai reserved forest, Ennamangalam reserved forest and Nagalur reserved forest.
The reserve forests form a large, contiguous network of protected areas, enabling uniform legal status and protection.
"This landscape maintains continuity from Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in the State of Karnataka to the Nilgiri Biosphere through Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve. This provides sufficient area for the conservation of the varied and rich biodiversity of the region," read the notification.
It added that the area forms an important corridor connecting Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve to Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, respectively, making it a landscape crucial for healthy tiger populations.
"It is an important corridor for the dynamic tiger populations migrating to the Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, and this forest area is one of the tiger corridors approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and it holds a significant tiger population," the notification said.
The area has a good diversity of flora and fauna such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. About 70 species of butterflies, 35 species of fish, 10 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 5 terrestrial invertebrates, 233 species of birds and 48 species of mammals have been reported.