The Forest Department has taken up grassland management at M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary so as to increase the fodder base for prey animals.
Lantana and other weeds, which had grown on around 500 acres of forest land, are being removed manually in the exercise that began last month. “We intend to complete the exercise in another two months, and the fresh shoot of grass will cover the area,” said V. Yadukondalu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. The cost of the exercise has been pegged at ₹1 crore.
Grassland management holds the key for shoring up carnivore species such as tigers, leopards etc., whose population is dependent on the presence of herbivores such as spotted deer, sambar etc., as they form its prey base. The population of herbivores can be best protected by ensuring grassland habitat management, said Mr. Yadukondalu.
The exercise has been taken up as a part of wildlife management and in the wake of the presence of a good number of tigers and leopards in M.M. Hills and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries.
“At present, there are around 25 tigers in M.M. Hills and it is recognised as a sanctuary with immense potential to host more number of tigers. For this, we have to ensure that there is adequate prey base,” Mr. Yadukondalu added.
Conservationists aver that M.M. Hills along with the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and the BRT Tiger Reserve could emerge as another key tiger habitat like Bandipur-Nagarahole-Mudmulai-Wayanad belt and allow for dispersal of the big cats and absorption of the tiger population in future.
The M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over nearly 907 sq. km while the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is around 1,027 sq. km. The BRT Tiger Reserve which abuts M.M. Hills is about 530 sq. km and the entire landscape has a spread of nearly 3,500 sq. km all of which augurs well, if conserved, for wildlife in the region.
