Rajaji Tiger Reserve

• 28 May 2024

Why in News?

According Chief Wildlife Warden, a tigress translocated to the Rajaji Tiger Reserve from the Corbett Tiger Reserve has given birth to four cubs.

Key Point

• The tigress is one of three tigresses translocated from the Corbett Tiger Reserve to the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
• Rajaji National Park is a key link to other potential tiger habitats, including those in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.
• In western Rajaji Tiger Reserve, four tigers, three females and a male were translocated in December 2020, January 2021, May 2023.

Rajaji Tiger Reserve

• Location: Haridwar (Uttarakhand), along the foothills of the Shivalik range. It is part of Rajaji National Park.
• Background: Rajaji National Park was established in the year 1983 after amalgamating three sanctuaries in the Uttarakhand i.e., Rajaji, Motichur and Chila.
  • It was named after the famous freedom fighter C. Rajgopalachari; popularly known as “Rajaji”.
  • It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2015 as the 48th tiger reserve of the country.
• Salient Features:
  • Flora: Broadleaved deciduous forests, riverine vegetation, scrubland, grasslands and pine forests form the range of flora in this park.
    • Sal (Shorea robusta) is the characteristic dominant tree species.
  • Fauna: The reserve is home to more than 50 species of mammals including tiger, elephant, leopard, Himalayan black bear, sloth bear, jackal, hyena, spotted deer, sambhar, barking deer, nilgai, monkeys and over 300 species of birds.
  • Rivers: The Ganga and Song rivers flow through this.