MYSURU: Bandipur Tiger Reserve has scored again, this time getting top marks in Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) for tiger reserves in India. The evaluation was done by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous institute of Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
Assessment is taken up once every four years by a team of experts from NTCA and WII, which evaluate the management of the tiger reserve, community participation, tourism, protection, habitat management, tiger population, rescue, medical facilities, tribal settlement and other such aspects.
Of the tiger population of 524 in Karnataka, as per a 2018 census, Bandipur Tiger Reserve alone has 173 tigers, while Nagarahole Tiger Reserve has 164. A four-member expert team visited Bandipur and conducted the assessment.
Bandipur TR received a score of 95.5%, the highest in the state.“A team of scientists, retired IFS officers and wildlife experts conduct an investigation every four years and give scores based on management of the tiger reserve. A team of experts had visited Bandipur Tiger Reserve a month back and stayed for four days to conduct the survey,” Bandipur Tiger Reserve director P Ramesh Kumar said.
“Other tiger reserves in the country have scored 92% to 94%. Based on our score, we hope Bandipur will be declared first or second in the country. The achievement was possible as the department took up development activities in the reserve,” he said.
With 64 parameters to be fulfilled to achieve top position on the list of tiger reserves in the country, Ramesh Kumar said Bandipur took up conservation and protection activities.