Kali Tiger Reserve Becomes Karnataka’s 1st Protected Area With Honey Brand; Here’s Why It Matters

Kali Tiger Reserve is quite well-known for its untouched Western Ghats wilderness, the Kali River, Bengal tigers, and the elusive black panthers. But now, the tiger reserve will be known for one more thing, which is its own honey brand from the protected forest area. Scroll down to know everything about this honey brand and how it helps the forest dwellers in the reserve.

Kali Tiger Reserve Now Has Its Own Honey Brand 

The Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada district has become the first protected forest area in Karnataka to have its own honey brand. The brand, called ‘Adavi Jhenkara’, has been named after a programme that was launched two years ago. According to The New Indian Express, the brand aims to involve forest dwellers in harvesting pure honey from their backyards.

Reportedly, the forest department has enrolled 250 beneficiaries for the brand. Plus, officials have distributed 350 box colonies of honeybees to the forest dwellers in the Kali Tiger Reserve. The honey is being sold at ₹200 for a 250-gram jar and ₹400 for a 500-gram jar at office counters. The reserve also plans to market the brand and post the boxes directly to customers’ doorsteps.

Also Read: Odisha’s Satkosia Tiger Reserve To Get 6 Eco-tourism Hubs; What Wildlife Lovers Can Expect

Initiative Helps Community Earn Money Through Honey Harvesting 

According to The New Indian Express, the initiative aims to provide an opportunity for the native community people to earn money. There is an abundance of flowering species in the tiger reserve, and the honey collection has been amazing. In the last few months, about 600 kg of honey have been harvested through these boxes.

Moreover, the forest department provides the honeybee colonies for free to the beneficiaries. They also pay them for the honey collected. The quality is also said to be good because a team of officials conducts quality checks to ensure there is no adulteration.

The department is planning to expand the programme to other divisions as well. Many experts believe that the region can easily become a hub of honey production as it has several patches of thick forests.

Also Read: Why Is The Twin Elephant Birth In Jim Corbett National Park A Rare Wildlife Event?

This is amazing, right? Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve officially has its own honey brand!

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva Pro/  Edsel Querini and Daria-Yakovleva (Representative Image)