After the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in West Champaran district, Bihar is set to get a second tiger reserve in Kaimur district (Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary) by the end of the year or early 2024. The total tiger count in the State currently is 54.
The State Forest Department officials said they were working to obtain the National Tiger Reserve Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) approval for declaring it a tiger reserve.
“Yes, Bihar will have second tiger reserve in Kaimur district soon. We are working towards it. NTCA earlier in July, had approved our proposal in principle for the tiger reserve and now the department has started preparing for the final proposal to be sent to the NTCA for its formal approval”, additional principal chief conservator of Forest (wild life), Prabhat Kumar Gupta. “We’re quite hopeful to get a satisfactory proposal for approval,” he added.
Earlier, tigers were spotted in the Kaimur hills area. A report of the NTCA said that the tiger population in the Valmiki reserve has increased from 31 in 2018 to 54.
According to an official of the State Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, the NTCA, earlier, had also raised objections to the department’s previous proposal. “Earlier, 900 sq kms of area was identified as tiger habitat but after the NTCA’s objection it has come down to 450 sq kms”, said the official preferring anonymity.
When asked about the need for a second tiger reserve in State, the official said, “The need for a second tiger reserve in the State came up as Valmiki reserve reached its saturation point which has the capacity to manage nearly 50 tigers and the current number of tigers there has gone up to 54.”
Geographical location
The Kaimur district is divided into two parts: hilly area which is also known as Kaimur plateau and the plain area on the western side which is flanked by the rivers Karmnasa and Durgavati. The district has a large forest cover and is home to tigers, leopards and chinkaras. The Bihar Forest Department officials’ website said the forests of Kaimur span 1,134 sq km area including 986 sq km of the Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary. At 34%, Kaimur also has the highest green cover in Bihar and the Kaimur forests are the biggest in the State in terms of area. The district shares its boundary with neighboring States of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, the district was considered safe haven for Maoists and also a safe passage for them to enter into the neighboring States.
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