A short note on the tiger reserves of Uttar Pradesh

Tiger Reserve refers to a protected area designed for the conservation of tigers. A tiger reserve can also be a national park or a wildlife sanctuary.  There are 53 Tiger reserves in India. Three of these tiger reserves belong to Uttar Pradesh: the Lakhimpur tiger reserve, located in the Lakhimpur Kheri district; the Pilibhit tiger reserve, located in Shahjahanpur and Pilibhit district; and the Bijnor Tiger Reserve, situated in Amangarh in the Bijnor district.

Lakhimpur Tiger Reserve

Lakhimpur tiger reserve is also known as Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. It lies adjacent to the Indo-Nepal border and comprises the Dudhwa National Park Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary, and Kishanpur wildlife sanctuary. It was designated as a tiger reserve in 1987 under the purview of the Project tiger. Lakhimpur Tiger reserve is a protected area home to many animal species such as leopards, Asiatic black bears, sloth bears, swamp deer, rhinoceros, and elephants. Let us study the area in detail. 

• Lakhimpur tiger reserve is spread over an area of 1284.3 square kilometres. Mohana and Dudhwa rivers pass through the reserve.
• It is composed of a vast alluvial plain and numerous rivulets, lakes, and pools.
• It comes under the fertile Indo-Gangetic plain, which plays a vital role in supporting the fauna diversity of this tiger reserve. 
• The main fauna present in the LakhimpurTiger Reserve is the Sal tree forest. Out of 1300 bird species found in the Indian subcontinent, over 450 are found in Laxmipur Tiger Reserve. 
• This tiger reserve is the only place in Uttar Pradesh where both tigers and rhinos are found together. 
• According to the Tiger Census of 2021, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve has an estimated population of 107 tigers.

Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

Pilibhit tiger reserve is located in Shahjahanpur and Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh. It is spread over 730.24 square kilometres and is a part of Terai Arc Landscape in the upper Gangetic Plain located along the India Nepal border. It was designated as a tiger reserve in 2014. In 2020, it received an International Award TX2 for doubling the number of tigers in the past four years. Let’s take a look at flora and fauna of the tiger reserve.

• The Pilibhit tiger reserve comprises 326 bird species, 127 animal species, and 2100 flowering plant species. 
• Some animal species in this tiger reserve are swamp deer, leopard tiger, and Bengal florican.
• This tiger reserve is also famous for its Sal forest.
• It comprises 65 tigers, according to the last census. 

Bijnor Tiger Reserve

Bijnor tiger reserve is also known as the Amangarh tiger reserve. It is one of the most beautiful and richest flora and fauna areas in the district of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. Bijnor tiger reserve was notified as a tiger reserve in 2012. It is spread over 95 square kilometres, including wetlands, dense forests, and grasslands. Let us take a deeper look.

• Bijnor tiger Reserve lies adjacent to the Corbett Tiger Reserve; hence it has been declared the buffer area of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. 
• It is home to tigers, elephants, and wild animals, including jackals, jungle cats, leopards, monitor lizards, and pythons.
• It also comprises various bird species, including the golden-backed woodpecker, grey hornbill, and red jungle fowl.
• This tiger reserve comprises approximately 27 tigers, according to the last census. 

Conclusion 

Three out of the 53 tiger reserves in India are in Uttar Pradesh, namely – Amangarh Tiger Reserve, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. The Lakhimpur Tiger reserve was designated as a tiger reserve in 1987 under the purview of the project tiger. On the other hand, the Pilibhit tiger reserve was established as a tiger reserve as recently as 2014 and received the International TX2 Award in 2020, for doubling the number of tigers in the past four years. Bijnor tiger reserve, also known as the Amangarh tiger reserve, lies adjacent to the Corbett Tiger Reserve; hence it has been declared the buffer area of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The three tiger reserves in Uttar Pradesh are some of the country’s most popular and vital reserves for protecting the tiger population and maintaining the country’s unique flora.