Indravati Tiger Reserve

Indravati Tiger Reserve

Part of: Prelims and GS-III – Environment 

Context  For the first time, a large area (400 square kilometers) of the Indravati Tiger Reserve which is a Maoist-affected area, has been covered in tiger census work.

About the tiger reserve

• The tiger reserve is located in the Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh.
• The perennial river ‘Indravati’ forms the boundary of the reserve on the Northern and Western side
• It is one of three Project Tiger sites in Chhattisgarh, along with Udanti-sitanadi.
• It is home to one of the last remaining populations of the endangered wild water buffalo. 
• Indravati attained the status of a national park in 1981 and a tiger reserve in 1983. 
• The topography of the park mainly comprises undulating hilly terrain.
• The vegetation is mainly of the tropical moist and dry deciduous type with predominance of bamboo, sal and teak.
• The most common trees are teak, lendia, salai, mahua, tendu, semal, haldu, ber and jamun.
• It is home to  gaur (Indian bison), nilgai, blackbuck, chausingha (four-horned antelope), sambar, chital, Indian muntjac, Indian spotted chevrotain, wild boar,  tigers, leopards, sloth bears, dholes (wild dog) and striped hyenas.
• The reserve had three tigers in 2018-19, when the last census took place.