Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Tiger reserve in Pilibhit district, India
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Pilibhit district, India, stretching over sal forests, tall grasslands, and swamps that receive periodic flooding from multiple rivers. The landscape shifts between dense woodland and open clearings where deer and wild boar commonly graze.
The area was declared India's 46th tiger reserve in June 2014, after previously serving as a timber source. This shift marked a transition from logging to active protection of wildlife.
The grasslands inside the reserve are called chaur, a term for meadows that formed where settlements were abandoned or land was cleared in the past. Because they are man-made in origin, woody species are gradually colonising them. The sal woodland covers almost 76% of the reserve area and regenerates naturally.
The reserve lies along the India-Nepal border, with the Sharda Sagar Dam, about 22 km long, on its boundary and the River Sharda to the north-east. The core area of 602.79 km2 is closed to habitation, and roads crossing it carry traffic, so expect disturbance along those routes. The Chuka Ecotourism site on the dam bank inside the park is the developed visitor point.
The reserve received the international TX2 award for doubling its tiger population within four years. This achievement shows how targeted measures can support the survival of threatened species.
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