Melghat Tiger Reserve |ForumIAS

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Source-This post on Melghat Tiger Reserve has been created based on the article “Forest department’s sporting gesture aims at saving tigers and preventing forest fire” published in “Times of India” on 19 February 2024.

Why in the news?

Melghat Tiger Reserve has recently started Kula mama volleyball tournament to create awarness about significance of protection of tigers.

Aspect	Details
Introduction	It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1967 and was declared a tiger reserve in 1974. The name ‘Melghat’ means the confluence of various ‘ghats’ or valleys.
Location	It is located on the southern offshoot of the Satpura Hill Range in Central India, called Gavilgarh Hill in Maharashtra.
Vegetation	The forest is tropical dry deciduous in nature, dominated by teak.
Rivers	The reserve is a catchment area for five major rivers: the Khandu, Khapra, Sipna, Gadga, and Dolar. These are tributaries of the river Tapti. The Tapti River and the Gawilgadh ridge of the Satpura Range form the boundaries of the reserve.
Major tribes	The Korkus are the largest tribal community in Melghat. Other communities include the Gawli community, the Gond tribe etc.
Fauna	The prominent animals are Sloth Bear, Indian Gaur, Sambar deer, Leopard, Nilgais, dhole, hyena, jungle cat, langur, etc. It is considered a stronghold of the critically endangered forest owlet.
Some important facts	1) It was among the first nine tiger reserves notified in 1973-74 under Project Tiger. 2) It was the first tiger reserve in Maharashtra. 3) Kula Mama (maternal uncle) is the name affectionately used by Korku tribal people for tigers.