Let the magic of the wild unfold at Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary

The renowned TX2 award recently went to the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district for doubling its tiger population. The Tiger Reserve has got a high density and diversity of flora and fauna owing to its location, which is a confluence of Eastern and Western Ghats. This tiger land is one of the popular tourist destinations as families, friends, and adventure seekers visit this reserve to explore the charm of the sanctuary.

Tamil Nadu is ecological heaven blessed by Mother Nature herself, celebrating the exuberance of life. The state is home to five national parks, four tiger reserves, fifteen wildlife sanctuaries, two conservation reserves, and fifteen bird sanctuaries, which reflect the strong commitment of the state to wildlife protection.

The Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, located along the Western Ghats, between the taluks of Sathyamangalam and Gobichettipalayam. It is a tiger stronghold in southern India. It was first designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 2008, and then, in 2011, it was expanded to encompass further land.

The forest, which spans 1,411.6 square kilometres, is currently Tamil Nadu’s largest wildlife sanctuary. As part of the “Project Tiger” effort, it became the fourth tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu in 2013. The Sathyamangalam forest connects the Western and Eastern Ghats, serving as a corridor for the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is connected to other well-established tiger habitats like Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve and BR Hills Tiger Reserve.

The TX2 awards celebrate the remarkable contributions made by government bodies, NGOs, and local communities to strengthen tiger conservation. To honour a recently notified tiger reserve like Sathyamangalam with the award is a step forward to inspire others to work towards preserving this magnificent species and its habitats. The award has been granted to reserves that have had a significant and quantifiable increase in their tiger populations.

Seeing the elusive tiger is at the top of every tourist’s, animal lover, and nature lover’s dream list when visiting India’s national parks. As one observes the enigmatic black-and-yellow striped shape making its way through the forest, William Blake’s famous phrases reverberate in one’s mind: “Tyger, tyger, burning bright, in the forests of the night.” The tiger is a majestic and royal animal, making every wildlife filmmaker’s dream come true of capturing and showcasing the striped spectacle in the Indian forest.

For humans, saving tigers is a source of pride because their well-being directly affects ours. They have preserved the wild landscapes that we admire. Their presence in the forest helps to regulate the seasons, keep rivers moving, offer carbon sinks, and provide food for us and our families. However, we must first learn about the biology and behaviour of these magnificent creatures in order to conserve them. Only then will we be able to protect their habitat and allow them to mate and live in peace. Tigers are one of the most beautiful creatures that nature has to offer. Forests and humans are products of nature. It is now man’s obligation to become the forest’s and tiger’s guardians, for as they thrive, so do all other living forms surrounding them. -maker’s dream come true of capturing and showcasing the spectacle in the Indian forest.

Some of the other notable species of wildlife at Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve include elephant, hyena, slender loris, wild boar, sloth bear, civet, jackal, otter, mongoose, blackbuck, barking deer, spotted deer, sambar, four-horned antelope, mouse deer, Indian pangolin, porcupine, jungle cat, langur, bonnet macaque, leopard and gaur. Some of the rare birds include white-backed vultures, trogons, woodpeckers, brown fish owls, etc.

In Tamil Nadu, the adjoining areas such as the Erode Forest Division, Coimbatore Forest Division and the Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka at the Tamil Nadu border were also emerging as important tiger habitats, creating a mosaic that allows the big cats to easily move in search of food and new territory.