As big cat population plummets, Chhattisgarh approves country’s third largest tiger reserve
- Chhattisgarh recently cleared a long-pending proposal to notify a new tiger reserve
Highlights:
- Andhra Pradesh’s Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve is the country’s largest tiger reserve, covering 3,296.31 sq km.
- Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam is the second largest with an area of 2,837.1 sq km. Both have 58 tigers.
- This new tiger reserve in Chhattisgarh would be the third largest in the country.
- The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, which integrates an existing national park with a wildlife sanctuary, is Chhattisgarh’s fourth reserve for the big cats.
- It spans 2,829 square kilometres across four northern districts of the state..
- Chhattisgarh’s tiger population fell from 46 in 2014 to 17 in 2022, according to a National Tiger Conservation Authority report released in July 2023.
- Some states, including Mizoram, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Goa, Chhattisgarh and Arunachal Pradesh have reported disquieting trends with small tiger populations.
- The formation of this tiger reserve will foster eco-tourism in the state and create employment opportunities for villagers residing in the core and buffer zones, as guides, tourist vehicle operators, and resort managers.
- The National Project Tiger Authority will provide an extra budget for the reserve’s operations, which will facilitate new livelihood development projects in the surrounding villages.
Prelims Takeaway
- Tiger reserves
- NTCA