Buxa Tiger Reserve

Buxa Tiger Reserve

Part of: Prelims and GS-III – Environment

Context Recently,  a Royal Bengal Tiger has been spotted in Buxa tiger reserve in West Bengal after at least 23 years. It was in 1998 that images of a Royal Bengal tiger were last captured at the reserve.

About Buxa tiger reserve

• It is a tiger reserve in Alipurduar district, West Bengal.
• Created in 1983 as the 15th tiger reserve
• Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan. 
• The Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of BTR and the eastern boundary touches that of the Assam state.
• It represents the highly endemic Indo-Malayan region. 
• The fragile “Terai Ecosystem” constitutes a part of this reserve. 
• The Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the north of BTR. Manas National Park lies east of BTR.
• BTR, thus, serves as an international corridor for Asian elephant migration between India and Bhutan. 
• Some of the rivers flowing through this reserve are Jayanti, Sankosh, Raidak, Churnia, Turturi, Dima, Nonani, Phashkhawa.
• The forest of the reserve is classified as the Moist Tropical forest.
• Rajabhatkhawa Vulture Breeding Center at Buxa Tiger Reserve for the breeding and conservation of endangered Indian vultures was established as the second such center with the help of Bombay Natural History Society and British charity Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.