Now, tiger conservation at Nandhour sanctuary

Jotirmay Thapliyal 

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 15

The Wildlife Institute of India and Zoological Society of London will undertake tiger conservation programme at Nandhour Wildlife Sanctuary after its inclusion in the Trans Boundary Tiger Conservation Programme. Located between Gola and Sharda rivers, the sanctuary forms part of the wildlife rich Terai Arc Landscape. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has already earmarked Rs 22 crore for the programme.

The programme entails setting up of quick response teams to deal with poaching incidents, promoting anti-poaching efforts and eco-tourism and involving local villagers in tiger conservation efforts. Interestingly, the Trans Boundary Tiger Conservation Programme is expected to give a boost to Nandhour Wildlife Sanctuary’s chances of becoming the third tiger reserve in Uttarakhand after Corbett and Rajaji tiger reserves. At present there are 35 tigers at the sanctuary and wildlife authorities are mulling over promoting the region as another tiger reserve.

Stressing on importance of tiger conservation in Nandhour, Uttarakhand Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) DVS Khati said that wildlife areas in Nepal along India’s border were already being covered under the Trans Boundary Tiger Conservation Programme and the same was now being implemented at Nandhour Wildlife Sanctuary. He said under the first phase, quick response teams would be constituted to safeguard the region’s wildlife. 

More importantly, with Corbett and its surrounding territorial forests overpopulated with tigers, Haldwani and Nandhour Wildlife Sanctuary are the only two other areas where tigers can be accommodated. 

Why Nandhour

• Located between Gola and Sharda rivers, the sanctuary forms part of the wildlife rich Terai Arc Landscape. 
• Nandhour is an important corridor for tiger movement from Corbett Tiger Reserve to other forest divisions of Terai and Katrniaghat in UP. 
• The sanctuary's geographical proximity to Nepal also makes it ideal for Tiger Conservation Programme.