Tiger Reserves

The tiger reserves of India were set up in 1973 and are governed under Project Tiger, which is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Government of India. A Tiger Reserve is an area that is dedicated to the conservation and protection of the tiger population. It aims to provide a safe and secure environment for tigers to thrive by ensuring the preservation of their habitats and prey species. Bandipur is a Tiger Reserve located in Karnataka. Manas is a National Park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam. Sunderbans is a Tiger Reserve located in West Bengal. However, Bhitarkanika is a wetland famous for its bird diversity and is not a Tiger Reserve. Therefore, Bandipur, Manas, and Sunderbans are declared Tiger Reserves.

Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve is a protected area and Tiger Reserve along the Western Ghats in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.  Largest among the four tiger reserves (Kalakad-Mundanthurai, Annamalai, Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam) in Tamil Nadu, STR is a significant wildlife corridor in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve between the Western Ghats and the rest of the Eastern Ghats, serving as a genetic link to contiguous protected areas including the Biligiriranga Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Sigur Plateau, Mudumalai National Park and Bandipur National Park.

* Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH), also known as core areas of tiger reserves, are identified under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 based on scientific evidence that such areas are required to be kept as inviolate for the purpose of tiger conservation. * Among the options given, Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve has the largest area under 'Critical Tiger Habitat'. It spreads over five districts and the total area of the tiger reserve is 3,728 sq. km.