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Context

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has written to the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State to initiate action against illegal resorts and homestays in enclosures of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, better known as BRT Tiger Reserve.

About

• The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BRT) is located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka State.

Unique location

• This unique Bio-geographical habitat is in the middle of the bridge between Western and Eastern ghats in South India.

Etymology

• The tiger reserve derives its name from 'BILIGIRI ', the white rocky cliff which has a temple of Lord 'VISHNU' locally known as ‘Rangaswamy’.
• It is also believed that the hill range gets its name due to white mist and silvery clouds which cover these lofty hills for a greater part of the year.

Habitat Attributes

 Flora

• The major forest types of the reserve are:

1. 1. Southern Tropical Evergreen forests
   2. Southern Tropical Semi-evergreen forests
   3. Southern Tropical Moist deciduous forests

Fauna

• As many as 26 mammals have been recorded of which Gaur, Sambhar, Spotted deer, Barking deer and Four horned antelope are the major ungulates.
• Carnivores of the habitat include: Tiger, Leopard, Wild dog, Lesser cat and Civet cat.
• The arboreal mammals comprise of two primates and three species of Squirrels including the Giant flying squirrel.
• Icthyophis ghytinosus, is an endangered caecilian reported from tiger reserve.

Tiger Status

• The habitat has considerable tiger presence with a density of 9 per 100 sq.km.
• Corridor The major corridors of the reserve are:

1. 1. Edayarhalli-Doddasampige (Bekkathur-Arabikere)
   2. Chamarajanagar-Talamalai at Punjur (Punjanur-Kolipalya)
   3. Chamarajanagar-Talamalai at Mudahalli(Talavadi-Mudahalli)

• There are major elephant corridors, viz. Punjur-Sathyamangalam and Bylore-Ediyarahally.

About Biligirirangan Hills

• It is a hill range situated in south-western Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu (Erode District) in South India.
• It is a protected reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• The site was declared a tiger reserve in January 2011 by the Government of Karnataka.
• The BR hills are a starting point of the Eastern Ghats and contact the border of the Western Ghats, allowing animals to move between them and facilitating gene flow between populations of species in these areas. Thus, this sanctuary serves as an important biological bridge for the biota of the entire Deccan plateau.
• The highest hill is Kattari Betta.

PRACTICE QUESTION Q) Which of the following statements with reference to BRT Tiger Reserve is/are correct? 1. This sanctuary serves as an important biological bridge for the biota of the entire Deccan plateau. 2. It is located in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka State. 3. The highest hill is Kattari Betta. 1 and 2 2 and 3 1 and 3 1, 2 and 3 Correct Answer: 4

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/ntca-seeks-action-on-illegal-homestays-resorts-at-brt-tiger-reserve/article66839647.ece