Rain brings cheer to MM Hills, Bandipur, BRT Tiger Reserve

Mysuru: Moderate to heavy rainfall across Bandipur, BRT Tiger Reserve and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve and MM Hills wildlife sanctuary in Chamarajanagar and Mysuru districts in the last four days has not only washed away fears of forest fire cases, but also eased drinking water crisis for wild animals. The good spell of pre-monsoon showers has helped to fill water tanks in the tiger reserves.Moderate to heavry rainGopalaswamy Betta, Maddur, Kundakere, Hediyala, Moleyuru ranges in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, which is spread across nearly 904 square kilometres, has received moderate to heavy rain in the last four days. The tiger reserve also received rain during the second week of April. The pre-monsoon showers not only helps to replenish its 374 minor and major water bodies spread across the national park but also provides major reprieve from forest fires.Though no major forest fire incidents were reported this year, six days before the pre-monsoon showers, a minor fire broke out in some places of Gopalaswamy Betta and Maddur ranges, but the department officials had successfully extinguished fires with the help of fire watchers. The rain also helps to grow fresh vegetation across the tiger reserve which were dried up since the last four to five months. This will provide fodder for wild animals, said Bandipur director S Prabhakaran.Bandipur is home to a number of wildlife species like elephants, tigers, deer, golden jackals, Indian leopards, fox, wild boars, Indian monitor lizard, barking deer, civets, mongoose, Chinese pangolins and otters. As there was no rain in Bandipur forest, scarcity of fodder and water led a large number of sambars and deer straying out of the forest, destroying crops in forest fringe villages of Gundlupet taluk, said Mahadevshetty of Hangala village of Gundlupet taluk. But in the last four days, rain has helped farmers from such problems, he explained.Forest ranges of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary such as Hanur, Kowdahalli, Kothanur and Halagur and MM Hills wildlife sanctuary have also received good spells of rain on Thursday and Friday.MM Hills Sanctuary assistant conservator of forests Chandrashekhar Patil said that the region, which has now received moderate to heavy rain, has helped in the growth of fresh vegetation.Forest department officials were struggling to ease drinking water crisis for wild animals during summer season as they were filling water to water bodies by using solar pumps and diesel pumps, but now for the last three days rainfall has helped to fill water bodies, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary deputy conservator of forests Surendra said.All ranges of BRT Tiger reserves, including BR Hills, Bylur, Punajanur, Chamarajanagar, Yelandur, Bedaguli in Chamarajanagar district also received rain bringing much needed relief to wild animals.Kallahalla, Antharasanthe, DB Kuppe ranges of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve of Mysuru district also received rain, said the forest department officials.
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