Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

Why in News?

Recently, an adult male tiger was found dead in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), marking the 27^th tiger death in the reserve since 2012.

• Location – Pilibhit district, Uttar Pradesh, Lies along the Indo–Nepal border.
• It is part of the Terai Arc Landscape in the upper Gangetic Plain.
• Established in – 2008.
• Under – Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Approved by – National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) responsible for tiger conservation in India.
• It was designated as India's 46^th Tiger Reserve.

Once declared, the state cannot de-notify a tiger reserve without the approval of the NTCA and the National Board for Wildlife.

• Rivers & Water Bodies – The river Gomti originates from the reserve, which is also the catchment of several others, like Sharda, Chuka, and Mala Khannot.
• Vegetation & Flora – The habitat is characterised by the North Indian moist deciduous type, having the sal forests, tall grasslands and swamps, maintained by periodic flooding from rivers.
• It is unique because it is one of the few "alluvial" grasslands in the world, similar to the Kaziranga ecosystem.
• Fauna – Tiger, leopard, fishing cat, swamp deer, spotted deer, hog deer, sambar, sloth bear, Bengal florican, gharial, etc.
• Corridor Connectivity – Directly linking Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary to the southeast and Shuklaphanta National Park (Nepal) via the Lagga-Bagga corridor to the northeast.
• It also connects the Terai forests to Uttarakhand’s Nandaur and Corbett landscapes, ensuring a continuous path for tigers, elephants, and rhinos across the Indo-Nepal border.
• Special Significance - One of the best examples of Terai ecosystem in India.
• Won the TX2 Award (2020) for doubling its tiger population

References

1. ToI | Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
2. UP Gov | Pilibhit Tiger Reserve