4th Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan

• 23 Jun 2021

Why in News

Recently, the Ramgarh Vishdhari wildlife sanctuary received a nod from the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) technical committee to become the 4^th Tiger reserve of Rajasthan.

• This will be the 52^nd Tiger Reserve of India.
• The Global Tiger Day, celebrated on 29^th July, is an annual event marked to raise awareness about tiger conservation.

Project Tiger

• It was launched in 1973 with 9 tiger reserves for conserving our national animal, the tiger.
• It is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• Currently, the Project Tiger coverage has increased to 51 Tiger reserves, spread out in 18 tiger range states which amounts to around 2.21% of the geographical area of our country.
• The tiger reserves are constituted on a core/buffer strategy. The core areas have the legal status of a national park or a sanctuary, whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area.
• The NTCA was launched in 2005, following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. It is a statutory body of the Ministry, with an overarching supervisory/coordination role, performing functions as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) is an app based monitoring system, launched across Indian tiger reserves by the NTCA in 2010.

Protection Status of Tiger

• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Endangered.
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I.

Key Points

• Ramgarh Vishdhari wildlife sanctuary:
  
  • Location:
    
    • This Sanctuary is located at a distance of 45 Km from Bundi City on Bundi-Nainwa Road near Village Ramgarh, District Bundi, Rajasthan.
  • Established:
    
    • It was notified in the Year 1982 and is spread over an area of 252.79 Sq. Km.
  • Area of Tiger Reserve:
    
    • The total area of 1,017 sq. km has been identified as the reserve area comprising two forest blocks of Bhilwara, territorial forest block of Bundi and Indargarh, which falls under the buffer zone of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR).
  • Biodiversity:
    
    • Its flora consists of Dhok, Khair, Salar, Khirni trees with some Mango and Ber trees.
    • The Fauna consists of birds and animals like Leopard, Sambhar, Wild boar, Chinkara, Sloth bear, Indian Wolf, Hyena, Jackal, Fox, deer and Crocodile.
• Other Three Tiger Reserves:
  
  • Rajasthan has three tiger reserves with over 90 big cats at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Sawai Madhopur, Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in Alwar, and Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) in Kota.
• Other Protected Areas in Rajasthan:
  
  • Desert National Park, Jaisalmer
  • Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur
  • Sajjangarh wildlife sanctuary, Udaipur
  • National Chambal Sanctuary (on tri-junction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh).

Source: ToI