Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

• 19 Mar 2025

Why in News? 

The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) is set to become a new sanctuary for rhinos coming from Nepal, where efforts are in full swing to establish a permanent habitat for them. 

Key Points  

• The Lagga-Bhagga area of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is adjacent to the Shukla Phanta Sanctuary of Nepal, due to which Nepalese rhinoceroses often visit here.  
• The area has rich grasslands, adequate water sources and uninterrupted wildlife corridors, making it an ideal environment for a stable population of rhinos. Currently, there is no recorded population of rhinos in the reserve. 
  • Under 'Project Rhino', rhinoceroses will be translocated from Assam and Nepal. 
• Importance and Benefits 
  • The project will preserve the dwindling rhino population as well as strengthen the wildlife ecosystem . 
  • Tourism will be promoted , which will improve the economic condition of local communities . 
  • Having protected and demarcated areas will reduce the problem of rhinos straying into agricultural lands , thereby preventing conflict between farmers and wildlife. 
•  Pilibhit Tiger Reserve:  
  • It is located in Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur districts of Uttar Pradesh. It was notified as a Tiger Reserve in the year 2014. 
    • In the year 2020, it won the international award TX2 for doubling the number of tigers in the last four years . 
  • It is part of the Terai Arc landscape in the Upper Gangetic Plain . 
  • The Gomti River originates from this reserve, which is also the catchment area of several other rivers like Sharda, Chuka and Mala Khannot . 
  • It is home to myriad wild animals, including the endangered tiger, swamp deer, Bengal florican, hog deer, leopard , etc. 

 Project Rhino  

• Project Rhino is an important conservation initiative in India aimed at saving  the dwindling population of one-horned rhinoceros . 
• It began in the 1980s, when the threat of extinction to rhinos was seriously recognised.  
• It evolved into a multi-faceted program , with key strategies including habitat conservation, community engagement, law enforcement, and scientific research.