Covering parts of Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur districts in northern Uttar Pradesh, the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve was notified as recently as 2014, and remains one of the narrowest protected tiger habitats in the country. The sal forests, Terai grasslands and swamps of this landscape flourish well into the low-lying hills of Nepal, while the reserve embraces the border between the nations on the upper Gangetic plain. This wonderous blend of ecosystems forms the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL), a confluence of 14 trans-bordered Protected Areas. The terai’s three major charismatic species: tigers, rhinos and elephants can be seen in Pilibhit and the adjacent Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
Despite being nestled in a heavily populated region, the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve has seen a steady rise in tiger numbers over the years since its notification, as much as doubling over the decade. In 2020, the reserve won the inaugural TX2 Award, presented by IUCN, UNDP, Global Tiger Forum and several other organisations. The success of its commendable efforts is bitter sweet given the challenges - the vast swathes of agricultural lands that extend close to natural habitat in the district now potentially host more cats, and other wild species than can be sustained. Human-wildlife encounters look like they will rise, placing both wildlife and people at unpredictable risk.
Read 'The Sugarcane Tigers of Pilibhit' in the August 2021 issue of Sanctuary Asia, at www.sanctuarynaturefoundation.org.
Video credit: Naveen Khandelwal, Divisional Forest Officer, PTR. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for 'Fair Use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research, Fair use is permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing, Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
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20 сен 2024
