Sources said the proposed sanctuary includes 29 compartments. Out of this, 25 compartments with an area of 8,921.68 hectares were leased out to Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) and four compartments with an area of 313.05 hectares belong to Bhandara division.

The total sanctuary area comes to 92.34 sq km, equivalent to 4,941 football fields. TOI on November 22 last was the first to report about Koka being notified as a sanctuary. Now tourists from Nagpur will get one more area for sightseeing at just 80km.

"With rich biodiversity and large flora and fauna, Koka was a fit case to be declared a protected area. This area is having excellent paleotropical vegetation and harbours sufficient prey and predator population in good number," a senior forest official said.

Koka has huge potential for sustaining flagship species such as tigers and panthers. The sanctuary will be an extension of already existing New Nagzira and Nagzira wildlife sanctuaries. In future the area will be treated as buffer zone of proposed Nagzira-Navegoan Tiger Reserve which has been held up for obvious reasons.

However, looking into the poaching of tigers in the region, Koka will need high degree of protection and habitat management measures to ensure a safe habitat for tigers and wildlife.

During his visit to Navegaon-Nagzira in June 2012, principal secretary (forests) Praveen Pardeshi had evinced keen interest in Koka and had asked officials to prepare a proposal.

The state already has 44 wildlife sanctuaries, including 4 tiger reserves and 6 national parks. Koka will be the 51st protected area.

Since November 2010, the government has notified 7 PAs viz. Mansinghdeo (183 sq km), New Bor (61 sq km), New Nagzira (152 sq km), Navegaon (123 sq km), Umred-Karhandla (189 sq km) and Tamhini (49.62 sq km). Besides, Kolamarka conservation reserve (189 sq km) for wild buffaloes.

The need for additional PAs has been felt after government denotified 8,496.44 sq km Great Indian Bustard (GIB) sanctuary at Nanaj (Solapur) to 1,222.61 sq km. Due to this, there was drastic decrease in the area under PA network from 4.97% to 2.6% i.e. from 15,332.49 sq km to 8,058.66 sq km, a sharp drop by 60.55%.

Some Solace For Tigers

* Koka is congenial to wildlife for ensured sustenance and its population growth

* Man-animal conflict can be mitigated by restriction on illegal grazing which is reducing the habitat of wild animals

* The sanctuary will give more area for gene pool

* It will help generate wildlife awareness through ecotourism

* Koka will link Nagzira and New Nagzira and Navegaon park. All the four areas combine has huge potential to support viable population of wild animals

* There is no village inside Koka. It is a reserve forest since 1879 and hence no rights exist on the forest by individuals

* The sanctuary is 10km from Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary and New Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary