<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/26624290.cms" /> When the <keyword id="6662033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Big-Cats">big cats</keyword> world over are fast losing their <keyword id="1342788" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="natural-habitat">natural habitat</keyword>, it is heartening to see one Indian state setting up a new home for this endangered species. <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword> will soon be home to the state’s fifth <keyword id="51012" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="tiger-reserve">tiger reserve</keyword> if it gets approval from the <keyword id="49041" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-Tiger-Conservation-Authority">National Tiger Conservation Authority</keyword>, a senior official said in Mumbai. There are already four tiger reserves in the state including <keyword id="6416868" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Melghat">Melghat</keyword>, <keyword id="6364430" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tadoba">Tadoba</keyword>, <keyword id="378980" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pench">Pench</keyword> and <keyword id="305828" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sahyadri">Sahyadri</keyword>. 
 The sanctuary identified for the new tiger project is located at <keyword id="1957392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nagzira-Navegaon">Nagzira-Navegaon</keyword> – lying between Bhandara and Gondia districts. Earlier, <keyword id="1957393" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nagzira-sanctuary">Nagzira sanctuary</keyword> spanned some 150 sq km while the <keyword id="131360" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Navegaon-National-Park">Navegaon National Park</keyword> covered 130 sq km. With the upcoming tiger habitat in view, the entire area has been increased to 700 sq km, principal secretary (forests) Praveen Pardeshi told the media. 
 Some big cats housed in Tadoba often wander outside the core area and these will be moved to the <keyword id="612932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nagzira-Navegaon-tiger-reserve">Nagzira-Navegaon tiger reserve</keyword>. There are more than 100 tigers in Tadoba while Nagzira alone shelters some 20 tigers. 
 As per the latest data, the average number of tigers in Maharashtra grew from 103 in 2006 to 168 in 2011. Other states like Kerala, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Karnataka, <keyword id="6354915" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Assam">Assam</keyword> and the Western Ghats region also saw a rise in number, according to new surveys conducted via camera traps. 
 India is home to the world’s largest population of wild tigers and the number stood at 1,706 according to the last census in 2011 (ranging between a minimum of 1,571 and a maximum of 1,875 across 17 Indian states). In a bid to boost the <keyword id="110107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="tiger-population">tiger population</keyword>, the central government gave in-principle approval for the creation of five <keyword id="1186294" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="new-tiger-reserves">new tiger reserves</keyword> in 2012. These include <keyword id="42865" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pilibhit">Pilibhit</keyword> (<keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>), <keyword id="1089395" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ratapani">Ratapani</keyword> (<keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>), <keyword id="191956" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sunabeda">Sunabeda</keyword> (<keyword id="6357961" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Odisha">Odisha</keyword>), <keyword id="1957401" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mukundara-Hills">Mukundara Hills</keyword> (<keyword id="6355588" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajasthan">Rajasthan</keyword>) and <keyword id="119091" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sathyamangalam">Sathyamangalam</keyword> (Tamil Nadu). The proposed Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve constitutes three wildlife sanctuaries including Darrah, Jawahar Sagar and Chambal. 
 India is also planning to set up an all-new tiger sanctuary inside the <keyword id="63330" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sundarbans">Sundarbans</keyword>, <keyword id="1957403" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Worlds-largest-mangrove-forest">world’s largest mangrove forest</keyword> which straddles the border of <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> with <keyword id="6354759" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</keyword>. The Sundarbans, a <keyword id="6383012" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Unesco-World-Heritage-Site">UNESCO World Heritage Site</keyword> spanning some 10,000 sq km, already houses a tiger reserve but a second one could be coming up to accommodate the increasing tiger population in that region. 
 
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Soon, Big Cats Will Find A New Home At Nagzira-Navegaon In Maharashtra

Sanghamitra Mandal