Context:
A 15-year-old tiger has died after being found in an injured condition near the Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district.
Relevance:
GS III: Environment and Ecology
Dimensions of the Article:
- Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR)
- Significant Features
Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR)
- Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha National Park, is the largest national park in Madhya Pradesh, India.
- It is situated in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh, within the Maikal range of Satpuras, which forms the central Indian highlands.
- Kanha National Park was established on 1 June 1955 and later designated as a tiger reserve in 1973.
- Some believe that the forest depicted in Rudyard Kipling’s famous novel, The Jungle Book, was inspired by jungles including this reserve.
Significant Features
- Kanha Tiger Reserve holds the distinction of being the first tiger reserve in India to introduce an official mascot named “Bhoorsingh the Barasingha.”
- The park is renowned for its efforts in conserving the Barasingha, the state animal of Madhya Pradesh, from near extinction.
Flora:
- The lowland forest in Kanha is a blend of sal (Shorea robusta) and other mixed forest trees, interspersed with meadows.
- The highland forests exhibit a different character, featuring tropical moist dry deciduous trees and slopes covered with bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus).
Fauna:
- Kanha Tiger Reserve is home to a significant population of Royal Bengal Tigers, making it an important habitat for these majestic creatures.
- Other notable wildlife species found in the reserve include leopards, sloth bears, Indian wild dogs, and a diverse range of flora and fauna.
-Source: The Hindu
