Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary

About Tal Chhapar Sanctuary:

• Tal Chhapar Wildlife Santuary is located in Sujangarh tehsil of Rajasthan’s Churu district and spanning 7.1977 square Km.
• It is situated on the border of the Great Indian Thar Desert.
• It was established as a “Reserved area” in 1962 and was given the status of a sanctuary in 1966.
• Topography: This Sanctuary has nearly flat territory and combined thin low lying region.
• Fauna:
  • The sanctuary is home to over 4,500 Blackbucks, Chinkara, and more than 250 species of birds, including migratory raptors.
  • It is a distinctive shelter of the most graceful Antelope seen in India, “the Blackbuck”.
  • It is one of the top halting places for migratory birds such as harriers. The migratory birds come from Central Asia and Europe.
• Flora: It has got open and wide grasslands with spread Acacia and Prosopis plants that offer it a look of a characteristic Savanna.

What is Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)

• In order to manage and conserve biodiversity across the Protected Areas MoEF Change notifies Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around the Protected Areas.
• In the year 2002, it was decided that an area around each Protected Areas, requires to be notified as Eco-Sensitive Zone for creating a buffer as further protection around Protected Areas (PAs) under Environment protection act, 1986.
• Eco-sensitive Zone could go upto 10 Kms around a Protected Areas.
• The Supreme Court on 3 June 2022, modified its previous order mandating a minimum 1-km eco-sensitive zone around national parks or wildlife sanctuaries.

Q1) Why blackbuck is hunted?

These animals are hunted for their skin. Poachers have made this species of animal a main target from the 20^th century. Conservation: The IUCN List has declared this species as Nearly Threatened. Hunting of blackbuck is prohibited under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Source: MoEF proposes to designate Tal Chhapar Sanctuary as Eco-Sensitive Zone.

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