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Male Mahadeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary registerd serious issues of tiger deaths mainly due to poisoning of cattle carcasses, which is tied to human-wildlife conflict.
 
About Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location: Situated in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, near the Tamil Nadu border. It lies at the intersection of the Western and Eastern Ghats and is bound by the Kaveri River to the northeast and by the Palar River to the south.
• Establishment: Declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2013, covering an area of about 906 square kilometers.
• Contiguous Protected Areas: It is contiguous to Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve (Karnataka), Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu), and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka).
• Biodiversity: The sanctuary mainly comprises dry deciduous forests with patches of moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen, and shola forests. Its flora includes species such as Anogeissus latifolia, Boswellia serrata, and Hardwikia binata.
• Fauna: It is home to diverse wildlife including Bengal tiger (with the population increasing), Indian elephant, Indian leopard, gaur (Indian bison), wild boar, dhole, spotted and barking deer, sambar, four-horned antelope, black-naped hare, common langur, bonnet macaque, honey badger, and reptiles like the Kollegal ground gecko.
• Cultural Significance: Named after the Male Mahadeshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, which is a significant pilgrimage site within the sanctuary.
• Conservation Status: The sanctuary is pending notification as a tiger reserve, which would make Karnataka have six tiger reserves.

The sanctuary serves as a key ecological corridor connecting multiple protected areas in the region, enhancing conservation of wide-ranging species like tigers and elephants.

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