Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, announced the official designation of the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh as India’s 56th tiger reserve. Sharing this news on the social media platform X, Yadav noted, “As India continues to achieve new milestones in tiger conservation, we have notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla in Chhattisgarh as the 56th tiger reserve. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is spread over 2,829 sq km.”
The notification of this tiger reserve was made by the Government of Chhattisgarh under the guidance of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Located across the districts of Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur, and Balrampur, the new tiger reserve aims to bolster conservation efforts for India’s growing tiger population.
Covering a sprawling 2,829.38 sq km, the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve ranks as the third largest tiger reserve in India, following the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh and the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam. The reserve includes a core area, or critical tiger habitat, of 2,049.2 sq km, comprising the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, along with an additional buffer zone of 780.15 sq km.
The newly designated tiger reserve not only adds to the network of conservation areas but also connects to existing reserves, creating a vast landscape complex. Adjacent to the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve forms a combined conservation landscape of approximately 4,500 sq km. This reserve is also linked to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to the west and the Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand to the east, further enhancing habitat continuity across state borders.
Situated within the Chota Nagpur and Baghelkhand plateaus, the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is characterized by its varied terrain, dense forests, and water systems, creating an ideal environment for a wide range of species. The reserve’s biodiversity is particularly notable, with a recent survey by the Zoological Survey of India documenting 753 species. This includes 365 invertebrate species, primarily insects, and 388 vertebrates, with the vertebrate population comprising 230 bird species and 55 mammal species, many of which are threatened.
With this new designation, Chhattisgarh now hosts four tiger reserves. Ongoing support from the NTCA through Project Tiger ensures that these reserves receive the necessary technical and financial assistance to continue promoting tiger conservation. This expanded network aims to protect the tiger population while preserving the region’s unique biodiversity, contributing to India’s broader conservation goals.
