History of Park
History of Ranthambore National Park
Overview
Ranthambore National Park’s name comes from Ranthambore Fort which is situated on a hill in the park. This fort is approved by the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ranthambore has a very famous Trinetra Ganesha Temple which is situated on the campus of the park. The Trinetra Ganesha Temple is very famous among Hindus.
The Indian subcontinent was covered in beautiful forests at the time before India gained its independence from British rule. However as industrialization and population growth grew, these forests were heavily exploited and eventually destroyed. Under the control of their hunting department, these woodlands were once used as hunting grounds for the Jaipur kingdom’s nobility. Despite this, as hunting was a rare activity, there wasn’t a noticeable, noticeable decline in the amount of wildlife. However, the onset of industrialization had a profound effect on the forest and its fauna, which resulted in a sharp decrease in the number of tigers that used to wander these woods.
After seeing the urgent intervention, the Rajasthan Government introduced the Rajasthan Forest Act in 1953 to safeguard the remaining forests. In 1955, the forest which was surrounding Ranthambore was declared the Sawai Madhopur Sanctuary. The government also launched Project Tiger in 1973 to protect and preserve the endangered tigers that were living in the forest. Later these sanctuaries were designated as Tiger Reserves.
With time, neighboring forests were added to the sanctuary and tiger reserve. The forests that bordered the sanctuary in the north were renamed the Kaila Devi Wildlife Sanctuary and the Sawai Mansingh Wildlife Sanctuary in the following years. Presently, the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve includes both of these sanctuaries as essential components.
The government is making conservation efforts to save the tigers!
The major efforts for conservation in Ranthambore National Park started in 18973, when the government introduced Project Tiger intending to protect the tigers of the country, because of the increasing number of hunting or poaching. Project Tiger was started by the government of India after a census in 1972 which showed the decreasing number of tigers in the country.
Hence, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve became one of the prominent wildlife sanctuaries which worked on conserving tigers. This reserve was then divided into two areas, “core areas” and “buffer zones”. “Core Areas” were the areas where tigers could roam freely without any interruption and so to protect their natural habitats, deforestation, and other commercial activities were banned in these areas. “Buffer Areas” are those areas where the land can be used by the locals for farming or other purposes, and conservation by the government.
A formal entity has been required for the project’s effective operation ever since it was implemented. After a task force was established, project Tiger received the legislative authority that included both administrative and legal authorities. The National Tiger Conservation Authority, or NTCA, is the name of this organization. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, as revised in 2006, grants it specific authority. The Authority monitors how well the tiger reserves’ conservation and tourism-related policies are being implemented and followed. It also guarantees backing for the conservation plan’s efficient execution. The number of Bengal tigers in Ranthambore National Park increased from 66 in 2019 to 81 in 2021, according to a recent census.
As mentioned by SP Yadav, the member secretary of NTCA, the population of tigers in the country has increased at an average rate of 6% annually. He thinks that by employing locals in eco-tourism and conservation-related fields and educating them about the significance of tigers for ecological balance, we might inspire more enthusiasm for tiger conservation.