Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Conservation

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