Valmiki Tiger Reserve

In News: The forest department of Bihar has established an elephant rescue centre at Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) to rehabilitate stray, abandoned and injured elephants

• The facility is in the process of getting approval from the central government
• VTR is spread over 899 square kilometres in West Champaran district, with Nepal to its north and Uttar Pradesh to its west.
• VTR provides the perfect atmosphere for elephant habitation
• Several elephants stray into VTR from neighboring Chitwan National Park in Nepal
• The plan is not without drawbacks: The risk of human-animal conflicts, though not new, will remain high

Valmiki Tiger Reserve

• Valmiki Tiger Reserve is the only tiger reserve in Bihar and forms the easternmost limit of India’s Himalayan Terai forests.
• The forest contains a mix of bhabar and terai tracts and is located in the Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone.
• In 1978, it was designated as a Wildlife Sanctuary.
• In 1990, Valmiki National Park was established.
• The Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park is the country’s 18th Tiger Reserve. Valmiki National Park and Valmiki Wild Sanctuary make up the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
• The tiger reserve shares a border with Nepal’s Chitwan National Park.
• The park is bisected by two rivers: the Gandak and the Masan River. Valmiki wildlife sanctuary is bordered on the west by the River Gandak.
• It enters India at Valmikinagar, where it is joined by two rivulets, Sonha and Pachnad, to form the holy Triveni confluence.
• A diverse range of flora and fauna can be found in the Valmiki National Park. Moisture-bearing Sal forests, dry-bearing Sal forests, moist mixed deciduous forests without Sal, cane, and tropical seasonal swamp forests with reed beds and wet grasslands make up the park.
• Fauna includes – Mammals: tiger, rhinoceros, black bear, leopard, wild dog, wild buffalo, wild boar, hyena, leopard cat, wild cat, etc
• Reptiles – Python, Cobra, King cobra, Krait, Banded krait, Sand boa, Crocodiles, etc
• Indian bison and one-horned rhinoceros frequently migrate from Chitwan to Valmikinagar.

Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q.1) Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (2020)

1. Corbett
2. Ranthambore
3. Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam
4. Sunderbans

Source: DTH