Case study- Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
Bandhavgarh National Park is a popular national park situated in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh in central India. It was declared a national park in 1968 and a tiger reserve in 1993 under Project Tiger, a plan that aims to ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats and also to protect them from extinction, and preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage forever represented as close as possible the diversity of ecosystems across the tiger's distribution in the country. The total area of the park is 1161 km2, with the core zone consisting of 624 km2 of the total area and the buffer zone making up 537 km2. The core is the main national park where majority of the wildlife reside in. It is split into 5 main zones –Tala, Magdhi, Khitauli, Kalwah and Panpatta. Tala is the richest in terms of biodiversity and tiger population and is the only zone that allows tourists. The other zones are completely shut off from any human contact and are carefully monitored for any trespassers. It is also kept free from anything that may disturb the environment. The buffer zone is the land around the core which protects the wildlife within the core zone. The core and buffer zone can be seen in Figure 4.a, with the core zone in green and the buffer zone in light orange. Majority of the money earned through tourism goes directly back to the Tiger Reserve, helping fund the facilities, monitoring equipment and protection necessary to protect the tiger.
Even though the Bandhavgarh National Park was established nearly 50 years ago, and the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve 2 decades ago, the area is filled with a rich history. It is unknown when structures at Bandhavgarh were built, but inscriptions dating back to 1 BC have been seen in caves near the fort. Over the course of centuries, several Indian dynasties have ruled the land of Bandhavgarh, until the owner, Maharaja of Rewa, converted the land into a national park in 1968. Since then, a number of steps have been taken to ensure that Bandhavgarh was retained as an unspoilt habitat.
There are more than 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds that live in the national park, and the tigers have become a major attraction for tourists. Bandhavgarh has a high density of tigers; the 105 km2 of the Tala zone that is open to tourists has a population of 50 tigers, a density of one tiger to every 2.1 km2. There is a saying about the Park that goes: "In any other Park, You are lucky if you see a tiger. In Bandhavgarh, you are unlucky if you don't see (at least) one."
Ever since the introduction of Bandhavgarh National Park, the numbers of tigers have increased dramatically. Before it had become a national park Bandhavgarh was a prime location for hunting tiger for game and poaching, nearly reducing the tiger population down to nothing. However, the national parks careful monitoring and conservation efforts have lifted the population of tigers from almost zero to a healthy 79 tigers, and will continue to grow as long as the Tiger Reserve continues fighting for a brighter future for tigers.
Even though the Bandhavgarh National Park was established nearly 50 years ago, and the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve 2 decades ago, the area is filled with a rich history. It is unknown when structures at Bandhavgarh were built, but inscriptions dating back to 1 BC have been seen in caves near the fort. Over the course of centuries, several Indian dynasties have ruled the land of Bandhavgarh, until the owner, Maharaja of Rewa, converted the land into a national park in 1968. Since then, a number of steps have been taken to ensure that Bandhavgarh was retained as an unspoilt habitat.
There are more than 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds that live in the national park, and the tigers have become a major attraction for tourists. Bandhavgarh has a high density of tigers; the 105 km2 of the Tala zone that is open to tourists has a population of 50 tigers, a density of one tiger to every 2.1 km2. There is a saying about the Park that goes: "In any other Park, You are lucky if you see a tiger. In Bandhavgarh, you are unlucky if you don't see (at least) one."
Ever since the introduction of Bandhavgarh National Park, the numbers of tigers have increased dramatically. Before it had become a national park Bandhavgarh was a prime location for hunting tiger for game and poaching, nearly reducing the tiger population down to nothing. However, the national parks careful monitoring and conservation efforts have lifted the population of tigers from almost zero to a healthy 79 tigers, and will continue to grow as long as the Tiger Reserve continues fighting for a brighter future for tigers.