Tiger Conservation in Bandhavgarh

The Bandhavgarh Fort, in the center of the Reserve, atop the Bandhavgarh hill, was the seat of the rulers of erstwhile Rewa State until they shifted to Rewa town in 1617 A.D.
The area of the Reserve, with its surrounding forests were the favorite hunting grounds of the erstwhile rulers and were zealously protected as such. After independence and the abolition of the princely States, the process of degradation of forests accelerated due to lax control.

Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa was deeplu moved by the destruction of forests. On his proposal, an area of 105 sq. km. was declared a National Park in 1965. the area of the Park was increased to 448.84 sq.km.in 1982.

The area of the 105sq.km.old National Park was finally notified in 1968. the remaining part of the National Park i.e. 343.842sq.km. is yet to be finally notified.Considering the importance and potentiality of the National Park, it was included int the Project Tiger Network in 1993.

 

The adjoining Panpatha sanctuary, which was crated in 1993 with an area of 245.847sq.km.was also declared a part of the Reserve.

Tiger Conservation in Jim-Corbett

The Reserve area was named as Hailey Corbett National Park in 1936. This was renamed in 1954-55 as Ramganga National Park and again in 1955-56 as Corbett National Park. It is the oldest National Park in India. It was one of the nine Tiger Reserves created at the launch of the Project Tiger in 1973.The original area of the Park was 323.75 sq. km. to which 197.07 sq. km. was added later. An area of 797.72 sq. km. was added as buffer in 1991.

This area includes the whole of Kalagarh Forest Division (including 301.18 sq. km. area Sananadi Wildlife Sanctuary),96.70 sq. km. of Ramnager Forest Division and another 89 sq. km.The administrative control over the entire area is that of the Field Director of the Reserve.
 
Wildlife Conservation in Dudhwa

The visit of Sir D.B. Brandis in 1860 to the area culminated in 303 sq. mile forest area of the present day Dudhwa National Park being brought under the control of Government in 1861 for preservation. In Kheri District, all the Sal and miscellaneous forests and grasslands in Kharigarh Pargana, between the Mohana and Suheli river, were included in the then North Kheri Forest Division. More areas were reserved for protection between 1867 and 1879 and added to the Division. The area of the Division was legally constituted as Reserved Forests in 1937.

The Sonaripur Sanctuary comprising 15.7 sq. km. area was created in 1958 to specifically protect swamp deer (Cervus duvaceli duvaceli). The area was too small and was later enlarged to 212 sq. km. and renamed as Dudhwa Sanctuary in 1968. Later, more area was added to the Sanctuary and in 1977, it was declared Dudhwa National Park. The total area of the Park was 616 sq. km. of which 490 sq. km. was core zone and balance 124 sq. km. buffer zone.

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve was created in the year 1987-88, comprising Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur Sanctuary (203.41 sq. km. ). With an addition of 66 sq. km. to the buffer zone in 1997, the present area of the Tiger Reserve is 884 sq. km.
 
Wildlife Conservation in Ranthambhore

Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve was among the first nine Tiger Reserves declared in 1973 at the launch of Project Tiger in India. It comprised the former Sawai Madhopur Wildlife Sanctuary of 392.5 sq.km. Reserved Forest (constituted in 1955).

Ranthambhore National Park with an area of 274.5 sq.km was constituted from within the Tiger Reserve in 1980. In the then Tiger Reserve, the National Park area was being managed as the core and the rest as buffer until in 1992, Keladevi Sanctuary having area of 674 sq.km of Protected Forest (constituted in 1983),Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary with an area of 127 sq.km. (Constituted in 1983),Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary with an area of 127 sq. km .(constituted in 1984), Kualji Close Area of 7.58 sq. km. And some other forest areas were added to the Reserve. Archaeological Richness Ranthambhore fort and teples of medieval period.
 
Wildlife Conservation in Panna

Panna National Reserve was created in 1981. It was declared a Project Tiger Reserve in 1994, the 22nd in the country and 5th in the State.The National Reserve consists of areas form the former Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary created in 1975. This sanctuary comprised of territorial forests of the present North Panna Forest Division to which a portion of the adjoining Chhatarpur Forest Division was added later. The reserved forests of the Reserve in Panna district and some protected forests on Chhatarpur district were the hunting preserves of the erstwhile rulers of Panna, Chhatarpur and Bijawar princely states.
 
Wildlife Conservation in Sariska

Sariska Tiger Reserve was created in 1978. The present area of the Reserve is 866 sq. km. In the pre-independence period, the forests within the Reserve were a part of the erstwhile Alwar State and maintained as a hunting preserve for the royalty. After independence, these were first notified as a Reserve wherein it was unlawful to hunt, shoot, net, trap, snare, capture or kill any kind of wild animals in 1955. The Reserve status was upgraded to that of a Sanctuary in 1958. Later, in view of the preservation of wild animals in a better way, a few forest areas contiguous to the Sanctuary were also incorporated.

The primary notification to declare part of the core as a National Park was issued in 1982. The final notification is pending in view of the need to relocate a few villages from the Park.
 
Wildlife Conservation in Sunderbans

Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, created in 1973, was the part of the then 24-Parganas Forest Division. Subsequently, the area comprising the present tiger reserve was constituted as a Reserve Forest in 1978. The area of the Reserve is 2585 sq. km. , covering a land area of 1600 sq. km. and the water body occupying over 985 sq. km. Within this area, 1330.12 sq. km. is designated as core area, which was subsequently declared as Sundarbans National Park in 1984.

An area of 124.40 sq. km. within the core area is preserved as primitive zone to act as a gene pool. Within the buffer zone, Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary was created in 1976, covering an area of 362.335 sq. km.

Considering the importance of the bio-geographic gegion of Bengal River Forests and its unique bio-diversity, the National Park area of the Reserve was included in the list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. The entire Sundarbans area was declared as Biosphere Reserve in 1989.
 
Tiger Conservation in Kanha

Kanha National Park is one of the first nine, Tiger Reserve constituted in our country when Project Tiger was initially launched way back in 1973. There present Park area encompasses two important valleys vix the Banjar and the Halon. In 1935, these valley forests were declared Sanctuaries Subsequently, the Banjar valley alone retained that Sanctuaries status till the up gradation as a National park in 1955. the initial area of the National Park was 253 sq. km. km, which with subsequent extensions in 1964and 1970 assumed a size of 446 sq. km. With the launched of Project Tiger in 1973, the Halon valley area was eventually integrated with the Park, thereby increasing the total area to the present size of 940 sq. km.

Kanha tiger Reserve is constituted on a "core-buffer" strategy. The entire National Park area of 940 sq. km. km. is visualised as a "core zone", free from biotic. Disturbances of any sort. A Buffer zone of 1005 sq. km. km. surrounding the core is treated as a multiple use area. The buffer zone comprises almost 40 percent forest area and the rest is costiuted by revenue land this zone has been notified by the state Government as a separate division and is under the unified controls of the management.

The Reserve is a part of the Gonndwana tract inhabited traditionally and chiefly by the Gong and Baiga tribes. The villagers had free access to cut and burn the forest at will. The system of shifting cultivation, locally called "Bewar" prevailed almost unhindered until 1870 on the hill slopes. Unrestricted grazing was permitted up to 1915, when grazing rules were introduced.
 
Wildlife Conservation in Bandipur

A Sanctuary with 90sq. km. area was created in the Bandipur Reserve Forest in 1931. It was realized that this Sanctuary was too small for effective conservation of wildlife. Therefore, the Venugopala Wildlife tour Park was constituted in 1941, extending over 800 sq. km. The Bandipur Tiger reserve was constituted by including most of the forest area of the Venugopala Wildlife Park and its sanctum sanctorum at Bandipur, in the year 1973 and named Bandipur National Park.

All the forests included in the Reserve are reserved forests notified prior to independence. Notification for the proposed Bandipur National Park was issued in 1985. The final notification is still pending.
 
Wildlife Conservation in Manas

Manas Tiger Reserve was created in 1973, with Manas Sanctuary as its core. Manas Sanctuary with an area of 360 sq. km., was created way back in 1928 Prior to the declaration setting up the sanctuary, the area was a Reserved Forest called Manas R.F. and North Kamrup R.F. The Raja of Gauripur and the Cooch-Behar royal family were using these areas as a hunding preserve.

Later, the sanctuary was extended by two successive additions, in 1951 and 1955, to 391 sq. km. by including the entire North Kamrup R.F. and the Manas R.F. Subsequently, the Kahitama R.F, the Kolilabari R.F and the Panbari R.F. were added and the area was declared as Manas National Park in 1990.

Wildlife Conservation in Pench

Pench Tiger Reserve was created in 1992, becoming 19th Reserve in the Project Tiger network. The core zone of the Reserve, Pench National Park was crated in 1983.This was carved oyt of the Pench Sanctuary crated in 1977 with an area of 449.39 sq.km.

The area of the Park is 292.85sq.km., which is divided almost equally in two distrcts- 145.36 sq.km. in Seoni and 147.28 sq.km in Chhindwara includes 138.24 sq.km. Reserve forests, 6.26 sq.km. Protected Forest and 2.78-sq.km.revenue lands. The buffer zone, 465sq.km. comprises of 333.05sq.km of R.F., 102.36 sq.km Of P.F and 29.59 sq. km.of revenue land. The total area of the reserve is 757.86sq.km.

The area of the Park is 292.85sq.km., which is divided almost equally in two distrcts- 145.36 sq.km. in Seoni and 147.28 sq.km in Chhindwara includes 138.24 sq.km. Reserve forests, 6.26 sq.km. Protected Forest amd 2.78-sq.km.revenue lands. The buffer zone, 465sq.km. comprises of 333.05sq.km Of R.F., 102.36 sq.km Of P.F and 29.59 sq. km.of revenue land. The total area of the reserve is 757.86sq.km.