Ratapani Tiger Reserve

Why in the news?

• Recently, the Madhya Pradesh government issued a notification declaring the Ratapani Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve.

Ratapani Tiger Reserve:

• It is located in Raisen and Sehore districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is the 9th Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh.
• Its core area is 763.812 square kilometers and buffer area is 507.653 square kilometers.
• According to the census of the year 2022, there are 785 tigers in Madhya Pradesh.

Other Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh

1. Kanha Tiger Reserve
2. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
3. Pench Tiger Reserve
4. Panna Tiger Reserve
5. Satpura Tiger Reserve
6. Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve
7. Nauradehi Tiger Reserve
8. Madhav Tiger Reserve

Process of declaring a Tiger Reserve:

• Tiger Reserve is a national park or wildlife sanctuary that has been reserved to preserve and increase the number of tigers in view of the continuous decline in their number.
• Tiger reserves are notified by the state governments as per the provisions of Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 on the advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• To declare any area as a Tiger Reserve, it is necessary for the State Government to obtain permission from the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• In order to preserve the natural habitat of tigers, human activities and hunting are completely prohibited in the Tiger Reserve.

Conservation Status of Tiger:

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule I
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List – Endangered
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – Appendix I