New Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh

Oct 1, 2024

Lecture Notes: New Tiger Reserve Notification in Madhya Pradesh

Introduction

  • Discussion on a new tiger reserve to be notified by the government.
  • Focus on Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Location of Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Situated in Madhya Pradesh, in the Narmada hills.
  • Features nearby tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries:
    • Panna National Park
    • Panna Tiger Reserve
    • Madhav National Park
    • Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary
    • Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary
    • National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary
    • Sanjay Gandhi National Park
    • Bandhavgarh National Park
    • Kanha National Park
    • Satpura National Park
    • Pench National Park

Significance of Madhya Pradesh

  • Known as the "Tiger Capital of India" due to a high population of tigers.

Key Features of Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary

  • Contains the Kola River.
  • Home to the prehistoric site of Bimbetka rock-cut cave paintings.
  • Landscape characterized by:
    • Dry deciduous forests
    • Moist deciduous forests

Dominant Flora and Fauna

  • Dominant tree species: Teak (more than 50%).
  • Notable animals:
    • Tigers
    • Chinkara
    • Blackbuck
    • Civet cats

Understanding Tiger Reserves

  • Definition: Areas demarcated for tiger conservation, including core, buffer, and transition areas.
  • Focus on the Royal Bengal Tiger (national animal of India).

Management of Tiger Reserves

  • Notified by state governments under Section 38, Clause 5 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
  • First Tiger Reserve: Palamu in Jharkhand, notified in 1973 under Project Tiger.
  • Largest Tiger Reserve: Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.
  • Smallest Tiger Reserve: Bor Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.

Project Tiger Initiative

  • Initiated in 1973 for tiger conservation.
  • Any national park or wildlife sanctuary can be designated as a tiger reserve.
  • Differences between National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries:
    • National Parks: Strict restrictions on human activities, conservation-focused.
    • Wildlife Sanctuaries: Larger area for ecosystem conservation, fewer restrictions.

Current Statistics

  • 104 National Parks and over 550 Wildlife Sanctuaries in India.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

  • Implements Project Tiger and oversees tiger reserves.
  • Denotification of tiger reserves requires approval from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), headed by the Prime Minister.
  • NTCA established based on recommendations from the Tiger Task Force in 2005.

Tiger Census and Conservation Goals

  • Conducted every four years; next census will be in 2022 (5th census).
  • Current tiger population: 3167 (as of 2022).
  • St. Petersburg Declaration (2010): 50% increase in tiger populations aimed by 2022; India achieved this early in 2018.

Counting Methodologies

  • M-stripes: Camera trapping method for assessing tiger populations based on stripe patterns.

Quiz Questions

  • Identify the latest entries (54th and 55th) into the Indian Tiger Reserve list.
  • Protected areas: Mandipur, Vittar Kanika, Manas, and Sundarbans—how many are declared as Tiger Reserves?

Conclusion

  • Summary of discussed topics: new tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh, geographical features, tiger reserve concept, management bodies, and conservation efforts.