Why is it in the news?

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has recommended designating the Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary as a core critical tiger habitat.

More about the Sanctuary

• Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in H.D. Kote taluk of Mysuru district, Karnataka.
• It covers an area of 32 square kilometres and has been officially declared a Wildlife Sanctuary by the state.
• The sanctuary’s unique geography includes the backwaters of Nugu dam on its western side and shares borders with Alaganchi State Forest, which is part of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, on the southwest side.
• Despite recovering from past degradation, Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary shares similarities with Bandipur in terms of flora and supports a diverse range of fauna, including elephants, tigers, leopards, wild dogs, striped hyenas, sloth bears, gaurs, sambhars, chitals, and four-horned antelopes.
• It is also home to two important riverine wildlife species: the smooth-coated otter and the marsh crocodile, highlighting its rich biodiversity.
• Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and serves as a buffer area for Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
• This sanctuary provides an ideal and inviolate habitat for tigers and elephants, making it a prime candidate for Core/Critical Tiger Habitat status within the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.