The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is expected to notify the Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve soon.

Once notified, Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka will have the rare distinction in the country of hosting three tiger reserves. It already has Bandipur and Biligiri Ranganatha Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve within its territorial limits.

Also, with this, Karnataka will have six tiger reserves, the others being Nagarahole, Bhadra and Anshi-Dandeli, apart from Bandipur and BRT Tiger Reserves.

The sanctuary will be renamed as Malai Mahadeshwara Hill Tiger Reserve with a core area of 670.95 sq km spread across Malai Mahadeshwara Reserve Forest, Hanur Reserve Forest and Yediyarahalli Reserve Forest. The buffer will be spread over 235.19 sq km.

Project Tiger and NTCA

* Project Tiger was launched in 1973 with nine tiger reserves for conserving our national animal. Currently, Project Tiger coverage has increased to 50, spread out in 18 tiger range states.

* The tiger reserves are constituted on a core / buffer strategy. The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple-use area.

* It is an ongoing centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing central assistance to the tiger states for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves.

* The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body of the ministry, with an overarching supervisory / coordination role, performing functions as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

* The NTCA was launched in 2005, following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. It was given statutory status by a 2006 amendment of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

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