State PCS - Rajasthan (RAS)

• 18 Apr 2025

Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

Why in News? 

On 16 April, 2025, a seven-year-old boy died in a tiger attack near the Trinetra Ganesh temple in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan .  

Key Points 

• About  Ranthambore Tiger Reserve : 
  • Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is located at the confluence of the Aravalli and Vindhya mountain ranges in Karauli and Sawai Madhopur districts in the eastern part of the state of Rajasthan. 
  • It includes Ranthambore National Park as well as Sawai Mansingh and Kailadevi sanctuaries. 
  • The Ranthambore Fort, after which the forest is named, is said to have a history of over 1000 years. It is strategically located on a 700 feet high hill within the park. 
    • It was constructed by a Chauhan ruler in 944 AD. 
  • This isolated tiger-infested area represents the northwestern limit of the distribution range of the Bengal tiger and is an outstanding example of Project Tiger's conservation efforts in the country. 
• Features: 
  • The reserve consists of highly fragmented forest areas, ravines, river channels and agricultural lands.  
  • It is  connected to the Kuno-Palpur landscape of Madhya Pradesh through parts of the Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary, the ravine habitats of the Chambal and the forest areas of Sheopur . 
  • The tributaries of the Chambal River provide an easy route for the tigers to move towards Kuno National Park. 
• Flora and Wildlife: 
  • Vegetation includes grasslands on the plateaus and dense forests along the seasonal rivers. 
    • The forest is predominantly tropical dry deciduous , with the most common tree species being  'Dhak' (Butea monosperma) , which is able to withstand long periods of drought. 
    • This tree is also called 'forest fire' and is one of the many flowering plants that add colour to the dry summers here. 
  • The park is rich in wildlife , with tigers being at the top of the food chain among mammals.  
  • Other animals found here include leopard , striped hyena, common or Hanuman langur, rhesus macaque , jackal, jungle cats, caracal, blackbuck, blacknaped hare and chinkara etc.