Sariska Tiger Reserve
Encyclopedia
The Sariska Tiger Reserve is a national park
in India
located in the Alwar district
of the state of Rajasthan
. The topography of Sariska supports scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and grasses. This area was a hunting preserve of the erstwhile Alwar state and it was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955. In 1978, it was given the status of a tiger reserve making it a part of India's Project Tiger
scheme. The present area of the park is 866 km². The park is situated 107 km from Jaipur
and 200 km from Delhi
.
The area of Sariska, being a part of the Aravalli Range
, is rich in mineral resources, e.g. copper
. In spite of the Supreme Court
's 1991 ban on mining in the area, marble
mining continues to threat the environment.
Some of the wildlife found in the Sariska Tiger Reserve include the Bengal tiger
, leopard
, jungle cat
, caracal
, striped hyena
, golden jackal
, chital
, sambhar, nilgai
, chinkara
, four-horned antelope
'chousingha' (extinct), wild boar, hare, hanuman langur, Rhesus monkeys, and plenty of bird species and reptiles.
Birds include Peafowl, Grey Partridge, Bush Quail, Sand Grouse, Tree Pie, Golden backed Wood Pecker, Crested Serpent Eagle and the Great Indian Horned Owl.
The dominant tree in the forests is dhok (Anogeissus
pendula). Other trees are e.g. salar (Boswellia serrata
), kadaya (Sterculia
urens), dhak (Butea monosperma
), gol (Lannea
coromandelica), ber (Ziziphus mauritiana
) and khair (Acacia catechu
). Bargad (Ficus benghalensis
), arjun (Terminalia arjuna
), gugal (Commiphora wightii
) or bamboo
can also be met at some places. Shubs are numerous, such as kair (Capparis decidua
), adusta (Adhatoda vesica
) and jhar ber (Ziziphus nummularia
).
fort, originally built by Jai Singh II, is located near the centre of the park. The Mughal
Emperor Aurangzeb
briefly imprisoned there his brother Dara Shikoh
in the struggle for succession of the throne.
Pandupol in the hills in the centre of the reserve is believed to be one of the retreats of Pandava
. Hanuman temple in Pandupol is a favourite pilgrimage site which is the source of problems to wildlife especially due to heavy traffic.
Nilkanth
temples were built by Bargujars. Neelkanth or Rajor Garh was the capital of Bargujars.
Tal Briksh to the north is special by its warm water spring.
Bhartrihari, not far from the Sariska village, is crowded by pilgrims. The ruler of Ujjain
, Raja Bhartrihari meditated at this place.
The area also has buildings associated with the kings of Alwar such as the Sariska Palace, which was used as a royal hunting lodge of Maharaja Jai Singh
.
s, scratch marks on trees etc.) being found. The Rajasthan Forest Department took the stand that "the tigers had temporarily migrated outside the reserve and would be back after the rains". The Project Tiger
, now National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), backed this assumption. There were some 15 tigers in the last years before. In January 2005, journalist Jay Mazoomdaar broke the news that there were no tigers left in Sariska. Soon the Rajasthan Forest Department and the Project Tiger Directorate declared an "emergency tiger census" in Sariska and the Central Bureau of Investigation
, India's premier intelligence agency, conducted a probe. After a two month exercise they finally declared that Sariska indeed did not have any tigers left. Poaching was blamed to be one of the major reasons for the disappearance of tiger. Sriska Tiger reserves has population of 5 Tiges on 1Nov 2011
in co-operation with the Government of India
and Wildlife Institute of India
(WII) planned the re-introduction of tiger to Sariska and also the relocation of villages. Some plans to construct by-pass roads were also there. However, it took several years to take a more concrete steps. It was decided to move one male and two female tigers from Ranthambore National Park
. The Rajasthan forest officials rushed to fly two tigers from Ranthambhore in June–July 2008 ignoring recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority
(NTCA) and the Tiger Task Force. The Wildlife Institute of India
(WII) along with the Government of Rajasthan
started tracking the relocated tigers with the help of ISRO's reconnaissance satellites. The first aerial translocation of the male tiger (Dara) from Ranthambhore to Sariska was done on 28 June 2008 and when the relocated tiger made its first kill in the enclosure there was a hope that tigers may adapt to the new environment in Sariska Reserve.
Only two of the four villages experts had said needed to be relocated were actually moved, though the second, Kankwari, was shifted long after the tigers were re-introduced. However, Kankwari fort has been renovated by the state tourism department, which can possibly violate wildlife protection norms. The first relocated village was Bhagani. Also, the diversion of roads crossing the reserve, an issue critical to the survival of its wildlife, continues to be a problem.
One more tigress was shifted to Sariska from Ranthambhore in February 2009. Thus, the reserve had one tiger and two tigresses. On 28 July 2010, another tigress was brought here from Ranthambhore National Park. Thus, altogether five tigers — two males and three females — were dwelling in the reserve till November 2010 when the first relocated tiger died due to poisoning.
Unfortunately, the first three of the five so far relocated tigers came from one father. Moreover, the first two tigresses have the same mother. The breeding of close relatives leads to inbreeding
.
National parks of India
This is a list of all national parks of India. India's first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park. By 1970, India only had five national parks...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
located in the Alwar district
Alwar District
Alwar District is a district in Rajasthan, a state in northern India, with capital in the city of Alwar.The district is bounded on the north by Haryana state, and on the east by Bharatpur, on the south by Dausa, and on the west by Jaipur districts....
of the state of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. The topography of Sariska supports scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and grasses. This area was a hunting preserve of the erstwhile Alwar state and it was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955. In 1978, it was given the status of a tiger reserve making it a part of India's Project Tiger
Project Tiger
Project Tiger was launched in 1972 in India. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of tigers in their natural habitats and preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the people. The selection of areas for the reserves represented as close as possible the...
scheme. The present area of the park is 866 km². The park is situated 107 km from Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
and 200 km from Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
The area of Sariska, being a part of the Aravalli Range
Aravalli Range
The Aravalli Range literally meaning 'line of peaks', is a range of mountains in western India and eastern Pakistan running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat and Pakistani provinces of Punjab and Sindh...
, is rich in mineral resources, e.g. copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. In spite of the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
's 1991 ban on mining in the area, marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
mining continues to threat the environment.
Some of the wildlife found in the Sariska Tiger Reserve include the Bengal tiger
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
, leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, jungle cat
Jungle Cat
The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....
, caracal
Caracal
The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...
, striped hyena
Striped Hyena
The Striped Hyena is a species of true hyena native to North and East Africa, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Middle and Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...
, golden jackal
Golden Jackal
The golden jackal , also known as the common jackal, Asiatic jackal, thos or gold-wolf is a Canid of the genus Canis indigenous to north and northeastern Africa, southeastern and central Europe , Asia Minor, the Middle East and southeast Asia...
, chital
Chital
The chital or cheetal , also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and in small numbers in Pakistan...
, sambhar, nilgai
Nilgai
The nilgai , sometimes called nilgau, is an antelope, and is one of the most commonly seen wild animals of central and northern India and eastern Pakistan; it is also present in parts of southern Nepal. The mature males appear ox-like and are also known as blue bulls...
, chinkara
Chinkara
The Chinkara is a species of gazelle found in south Asia.-Habitat and Distribution:It lives in grasslands and desert areas in India, Bangladesh and parts of Iran and Pakistan...
, four-horned antelope
Four-horned Antelope
The Four-horned Antelope , or Chousingha, is a small antelope found in open forest in India and Nepal. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Tetracerus.-Description:...
'chousingha' (extinct), wild boar, hare, hanuman langur, Rhesus monkeys, and plenty of bird species and reptiles.
Birds include Peafowl, Grey Partridge, Bush Quail, Sand Grouse, Tree Pie, Golden backed Wood Pecker, Crested Serpent Eagle and the Great Indian Horned Owl.
The dominant tree in the forests is dhok (Anogeissus
Anogeissus
Anogeissus is a genus of trees native to South Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa, belonging to family Combretaceae. The genus has eight species, five native to South Asia, two endemic to the southern Arabian Peninsula, and one native to Africa. Anogeissus latifolia, known as dhaora, is one of...
pendula). Other trees are e.g. salar (Boswellia serrata
Boswellia serrata
Boswellia serrata is Indian frankincense or Salai. It is found in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Andhara Pradesh in India.- Medical usage :...
), kadaya (Sterculia
Sterculia
Sterculia is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It was previously placed in the now obsolete Sterculiaceae. Members of the genus are colloquially known as tropical chestnuts...
urens), dhak (Butea monosperma
Butea monosperma
Butea monosperma is a species of Butea native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, ranging across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and western Indonesia...
), gol (Lannea
Lannea
Lannea is a genus of plant in family Anacardiaceae.Species include:* Lannea acida* Lannea acidissima L. A.Chev.* Lannea alata* Lannea acuminata* Lannea afzelii* Lannea amaniensis* Lannea ambacensis* Lannea ambigua...
coromandelica), ber (Ziziphus mauritiana
Ziziphus mauritiana
Ziziphus mauritiana, also known as Jujube, Chinee Apple, Indian plum, and permseret , is a tropical fruit tree species belonging to the family Rhamnaceae....
) and khair (Acacia catechu
Acacia catechu
Acacia catechu also commonly called Mimosa catechu, is a deciduous, thorny tree which grows up to in height. The plant is called khair in Hindi, and kachu in Malay, hence the name was Latinized to "catechu" in Linnaean taxonomy, as the type-species from which the extracts cutch and catechu are...
). Bargad (Ficus benghalensis
Ficus benghalensis
Ficus benghalensis, the banyan, is a large and extensive growing tree of the Indian subcontinent. Ficus benghalensis produces propagating roots which grow downwards as aerial roots. Once these roots reach the ground, they grow into woody trunks that can become indistinguishable from the main...
), arjun (Terminalia arjuna
Terminalia arjuna
Terminalia arjuna is a tree of the genus Terminalia.-Description:...
), gugal (Commiphora wightii
Commiphora wightii
Commiphora wightii is a flowering plant in the family Burseraceae. The guggul plant may be found from northern Africa to central Asia, but is most common in northern India...
) or bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
can also be met at some places. Shubs are numerous, such as kair (Capparis decidua
Capparis decidua
Capparis decidua is commonly known as kerda, kair, karir, kirir, karril, etc. .- Tree characteristics :...
), adusta (Adhatoda vesica
Justicia adhatoda
Justicia adhatoda L. ; syn. Adhatoda vasica Nees, is a medicinal plant native to Asia.The plant grows wild in abundance all over Nepal, India, and the Pothohar region of Pakistan, particularly in the Pharwala...
) and jhar ber (Ziziphus nummularia
Ziziphus nummularia
Ziziphus nummularia, also called Jharber , is a species of Ziziphus native to the Thar Desert of western India and southeastern Pakistan and south Iran ....
).
Historical places
The reserve is also the location of several sites of historical importance such as the 17th-century KankwadiKankwadi
Kankwadi or Kankwari is the site of Kankwadi fort and village, located in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district.The fort was founded by Jai Singh II as a famine work...
fort, originally built by Jai Singh II, is located near the centre of the park. The Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
Emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
briefly imprisoned there his brother Dara Shikoh
Dara Shikoh
His Highness, The Imperial Prince Dara Shikoh was the eldest son and the heir apparent of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. His name دارا شكوه in Persian means "Darius the Magnificent"...
in the struggle for succession of the throne.
Pandupol in the hills in the centre of the reserve is believed to be one of the retreats of Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
. Hanuman temple in Pandupol is a favourite pilgrimage site which is the source of problems to wildlife especially due to heavy traffic.
Nilkanth
Nilkanth
Nilkanth is a name used to refer to Shiva, one of the Hindu trinity of Creator , Preserver , and Destroyer .According to the Purnas, Shiva received this name as he drank the poison that emerged from the oceans after it was churned for getting 'amrut' - the nectar of immortality...
temples were built by Bargujars. Neelkanth or Rajor Garh was the capital of Bargujars.
Tal Briksh to the north is special by its warm water spring.
Bhartrihari, not far from the Sariska village, is crowded by pilgrims. The ruler of Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
, Raja Bhartrihari meditated at this place.
The area also has buildings associated with the kings of Alwar such as the Sariska Palace, which was used as a royal hunting lodge of Maharaja Jai Singh
Jai Singh Prabhakar of Alwar
Jai Singh Prabhakar was a Maharaja of the princely state of Alwar from 1892 to 1937. The only son of the previous ruler, Sir Mangal Singh Prabhakar Bahadur, Sir Jai Singh initially was noted as brilliant, erudite and charming; however, he was also cruel, a sadist, and profligate, deifying himself...
.
Tiger population
In 2004, there were strong and persistent reports that no tigers were being sighted in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. It was not only that tigers were not being seen but also and more alarmingly, there were no indirect evidence of tiger’s presence (such as pugmarkPugmark
Pugmark is the term used to refer to the footprint of most animals . "Pug" means foot in Hindi...
s, scratch marks on trees etc.) being found. The Rajasthan Forest Department took the stand that "the tigers had temporarily migrated outside the reserve and would be back after the rains". The Project Tiger
Project Tiger
Project Tiger was launched in 1972 in India. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of tigers in their natural habitats and preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the people. The selection of areas for the reserves represented as close as possible the...
, now National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), backed this assumption. There were some 15 tigers in the last years before. In January 2005, journalist Jay Mazoomdaar broke the news that there were no tigers left in Sariska. Soon the Rajasthan Forest Department and the Project Tiger Directorate declared an "emergency tiger census" in Sariska and the Central Bureau of Investigation
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
, India's premier intelligence agency, conducted a probe. After a two month exercise they finally declared that Sariska indeed did not have any tigers left. Poaching was blamed to be one of the major reasons for the disappearance of tiger. Sriska Tiger reserves has population of 5 Tiges on 1Nov 2011
Relocation efforts
In 2005, the Government of RajasthanGovernment of Rajasthan
The Government of Rajasthan also known as the State Government of Rajasthan, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Rajasthan and its 33 districts...
in co-operation with the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
and Wildlife Institute of India
Wildlife Institute of India
The Wildlife Institute of India is a autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,...
(WII) planned the re-introduction of tiger to Sariska and also the relocation of villages. Some plans to construct by-pass roads were also there. However, it took several years to take a more concrete steps. It was decided to move one male and two female tigers from Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore National Park or Ranthambhore National Park or simply Ranthambhore is one of the largest national parks in northern India. It is situated in Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan, about 180 km south east of Jaipur, which is also the nearest airport...
. The Rajasthan forest officials rushed to fly two tigers from Ranthambhore in June–July 2008 ignoring recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority
National Tiger Conservation Authority
The National Tiger Conservation Authority was established in December 2005 following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganized management of Project Tiger...
(NTCA) and the Tiger Task Force. The Wildlife Institute of India
Wildlife Institute of India
The Wildlife Institute of India is a autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,...
(WII) along with the Government of Rajasthan
Government of Rajasthan
The Government of Rajasthan also known as the State Government of Rajasthan, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Rajasthan and its 33 districts...
started tracking the relocated tigers with the help of ISRO's reconnaissance satellites. The first aerial translocation of the male tiger (Dara) from Ranthambhore to Sariska was done on 28 June 2008 and when the relocated tiger made its first kill in the enclosure there was a hope that tigers may adapt to the new environment in Sariska Reserve.
Only two of the four villages experts had said needed to be relocated were actually moved, though the second, Kankwari, was shifted long after the tigers were re-introduced. However, Kankwari fort has been renovated by the state tourism department, which can possibly violate wildlife protection norms. The first relocated village was Bhagani. Also, the diversion of roads crossing the reserve, an issue critical to the survival of its wildlife, continues to be a problem.
One more tigress was shifted to Sariska from Ranthambhore in February 2009. Thus, the reserve had one tiger and two tigresses. On 28 July 2010, another tigress was brought here from Ranthambhore National Park. Thus, altogether five tigers — two males and three females — were dwelling in the reserve till November 2010 when the first relocated tiger died due to poisoning.
Unfortunately, the first three of the five so far relocated tigers came from one father. Moreover, the first two tigresses have the same mother. The breeding of close relatives leads to inbreeding
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
.
General information
- Area: 866 km² total (497 km² core, 369 km² buffer)
- Altitude: Between 300 m and 722 m MSL
- Rainfall: Average 650 mm (per year)
- Forest Types: Tropical Dry Deciduous and Tropical Thorn
External links
- NTCA (Project Tiger)
- Blog on Ranthambhore National Park
- Wildlife Protection Society of India
- Article at National Geographic
- Travelogue and photographs of Sariska
- Article at The Pioneer
- Tiger Task Force
- Alwar & Sariska Belt - Nature and History Beyond The National Park
- video of traditional chanting at Pandupol Temple
Further reading
- Dang, Himraj (2005) Sariska National Park. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi ISBN 81-7387-177-9
- 'Ziddi', Dr. Suraj (1998) A guide to the wildlife parks of Rajasthan. Photo Eye Publications, Jaipur