56th Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh | 19 Nov 2024
Why in News?
Recently, Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh has officially been declared as the 56th Tiger Reserve of the country.
Key Points
- About Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve:
- The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve spans from Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur, and Balrampur districts of Chhattisgarh.
- Total area is 2,829.38 sq. km, with core tiger habitat of 2,049.2 sq. km and buffer zone 780.15 sq. km.
- It is the third-largest tiger reserve in India, after Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh and Manas in Assam.
- Conservation and Connectivity:
- It forms a landscape complex of approximately 4,500 sq. km with the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
- It is connected to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh in the west and Palamau Tiger Reserve, Jharkhand in the east.
- Ecological and Faunal Diversity:
- Located in the Chota Nagpur plateau and partly in the Baghelkhand plateau, the reserve features diverse terrains, dense forests, streams, and rivers, providing critical tiger habitats.
- Zoological Survey of India documented 753 species:
- 365 invertebrates (mainly insects).
- 388 vertebrates, including 230 bird species and 55 mammal species, several of which are threatened.
- Chhattisgarh now hosts four tiger reserves, enhancing tiger conservation efforts under National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Project Tiger initiative.
