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Tiger has been a fascinating animal due to its extraordinary high speed and phenomenal predatory skills. Tiger is an important mammal of the food chain which balances the food-chain by being on the top of it. It is the biggest species of cat surviving on earth. Although the increasing population is decreasing the areas of tiger. Tiger is listed as an Endangered species in the red list of IUCN. IUCN is the International Union for Conservation of Nature which works for conservation and care of species found on earth. The best way to protect tigers is to enhance their habitat and to do that, we declare some areas as the ‘tiger reserve’.
Killing tigers has been the ‘status symbol’ for the kings. In the colonial era, the British cruelly killed them in large numbers, also the poaching and hunting of tigers in recent years drastically decreased their numbers to such an extent that they came on the verge of being extinct.
By taking steps in the right direction, considering its significance, the Royal Bengal Tiger was declared the national animal of India on 1st April 1973. Project Tiger was initiated in 1973. Till now, India has 52 tiger reserves, the latest one is the ‘Ramgarh Vishdhari’ of Rajasthan. An area is declared as a ‘tiger reserve’ by the NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority). As per the data of 2018, India has 2967 tigers.
The Royal Bengal Tiger gets its name from the state of West Bengal. West Bengal has 2 tiger reserves, one is Sundarbans which is a national park, tiger reserve and also a biosphere reserve. The next one is the Buxa Tiger Reserve.
Buxa Tiger Reserve
Buxa tiger reserve is present in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. This district lies in the subdivision of Alipurduar. Buxa Tiger Reserve touches the boundary of Bhutan in the north and also Assam in the east. The famous ranges of Sinchula hill run along with the park.
It was declared a ‘tiger reserve’ in 1983, it has also been a national park since 1992.
The rivers of West Bengal that flow through Buxa Tiger Reserve are Sankosh, Churnia, Turturi, Jayanti, Nonani, Dima and Pahshkhawa etc.
This Tiger Reserve in northern West Bengal provides a corridor for the animal which goes to the jungle of Bhutan. It is also linked with Kachugaon jungle and Manas’s tiger reserve as they are situated in nearby locations. The Jaldapara National Park also lies in the vicinity of this tiger reserve. We know that West Bengal is known for river Ganga, this tiger reserve also lies in the Gangetic plains. An ethnic minority group named as ‘ Dupka’ also lives here as tribal people always stay close to nature.
The tiger reserve not only conserves tigers, it also preserves the special orchids of around 150 species. It is home to more than 400 species of trees as West Bengal is very rich in biodiversity. Even bamboo is present here in 10 different species. The trees and plants here, follow the variety of tropical evergreen forests and also the fry deciduous forests sometimes.
This tiger reserve in Gangetic plains of West Bengal is also native for a wide range of animals like – leopard, chital, wild squirrel, one horned rhino etc. Around 50 varieties of fishes and reptiles can also be seen in this tiger reserve in northern West Bengal.
Buxa Tiger Reserve also protects some endangered species like Bengal Florican and Chinese Pangolin. Some birds like Oriental pied hornbill and Eursian Griffon can be seen here.
Buxa Tiger Reserve in northern West Bengal is being used for mining of dolomite in the northern region of West Bengal.
In recent times, no tiger has been detected at Buxa Tiger Reserve. Now, a tiger has been detected last year. This reserve has a very low population of tigers.
Conclusion
Buxa tiger reserve not only conserves tigers but also protects a lot of species including Florican, leopard, leopard, squirrel etc. This tiger reserve of Gangetic plain is home to a rich biodiversity. Covered with many rivers and linked to nearby forests and national parks, it gives an access to the species to roam around freely in the nearby areas avoiding the man- animal conflict. Buxa tiger reserve in northern West Bengal is a good tourist spot and heaven for nature lovers!
