Why in news?  Bombay High Court bench in Goa , directs Goa government to notify Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as tiger reserve within 3 months

Highlights:

• Notifying as tiger reserve to be done under Wild life protection act 1972
• The demand is due to several sightings of tigers in the state’s forested areas, that run contiguous with forests in Karnataka and Maharashtra along the Western Ghats
• Upgradation of tiger reserve also has potential to increase overall tiger population in western Ghat region, which spreads through Goa and Karnataka

MHADEI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

• Location
  • Northern Part of Goa, near the village of Valpoi
  • Covers states of Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra
• Declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1999
• Area – 208.5 square kilometers
• Characterized by dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, and grasslands, providing habitat to a wide variety of flora and fauna
• Includes the Vagheri Hills and Vazra Sakla Falls and Virdi Falls
• Also hosts sacred groves , a part of community conservation
• Harbors a variety of wildlife, including mammals like Indian gaur (bison), sambar deer, barking deer, leopards, and wild boars.
• Several species of reptiles, amphibians, and avifauna are also found here, contributing to its ecological richness.
• It acts as a vital corridor for the movement of wildlife between different forested areas, ensuring genetic exchange and ecological balance