Rajaji Tiger Reserve

Rajaji Tiger Reserve

Why in news : The Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court has recommended against blacktopping a 4.7km stretch of a key forest road in the buffer zone of Uttarakhand’s Rajaji tiger reserve.

Key facts about the Rajaji tiger reserve :

• Rajaji national park which is also a tiger reserve, is located in shiwaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas.
• It is spread over 3 districts of the state of Uttarakhand.
• It has been named after  Rajagopalachari(Rajaji), a prominent leader of the Freedom Struggle.
• It is the 2^nd tiger reserve in the state after Jim Corbett tiger reserve.

Biodiversity present in the park :

Flora :

• The national park comprises of Broadleaved deciduous forests, riverine vegetation, scrubland, grasslands and pine forests.

Fauna :

• The park is located in deep jungles which make it very rich in fauna located there.

• The park is at the north western limit of distribution for both elephantsand tigers in India.
• The mountain goat, goral, nimble goats, huge herds of chital, Sambar, Muntjac, hog deer, nilgai, wild pigs, sloth bears,  leopard cat, jungle cat, civet, yellow-throated marten and  other carnivores live in this national park.

Project Tiger :

• Project Tigeris a tiger conservationprogramme launched in April 1973 by the Government of India.
• The project aims at ensuring a viable population of the Bengal tigerin its natural habitats, protecting it from extinction, and preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage.
• The monitoring system M-STRIPESwas developed to assist patrol and protect tiger habitats.
• There are 53 tiger reserves in India.
• Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradeshwill be the 53^rd tiger reserve in India.
• Project Tiger was administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

• The various tiger reserves were created in the country based on the ‘core-buffer’ strategy:

Bengal Tiger distribution and its protection status :

• In present times it is inhabited in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and southwestern China.

Protection status :

• IUCN conservation status : Endangered
• Wildlife protection act,1972 : schedule-I.

Syllabus : prelims + mains; GS3- economy