About Sariska Tiger Reserve

About Sariska Tiger Reserve: 

• Location: It is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan.
• It is well nestled in the Aravali Hills, covering an area of 800 sq km.
• It was once a hunting ground of the Maharaja of Alwar before being proclaimed a natural reserve in 1955 and a national park in 1979.
• It is the first reserve in the world to successfully relocate tigers.
• Sariska is also famous for old temples, palaces, and lakes such as Pandu Pol, Bhangarh Fort, Ajabgarh, Pratapgarh, Siliserh Lake, and Jai Samand Lake.
• Topography: It possesses a rocky landscape, scrub thorn arid forests, grasses, hilly cliffs, and semi deciduous wood. 
• Vegetation: The vegetation of Sariska corresponds to Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests and Northern Tropical Thorn Forest.
• Flora:
  • Nearly 90% of the area in the sanctuary is covered with dhok trees.
  • Other species found include salar, kadaya, gol, ber, Banyan, gugal, bamboo, kair, adusta, etc.

Fauna: A variety of other wild animals, like the leopard, sambhar, chital, nilgai, four-horned antelope, wild boar, rhesus macaque, langur, hyena, and jungle cats are found in the reserve apart from the tiger.

What is the Aravali Hills?

It is a mountain range located in northwestern India. It is one of the oldest fold mountains in the world. It runs approximately 670 km (430 mi) in a south-west direction, starting near Delhi, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat. The range contains a series of ridges and peaks, which have widths between 6 miles and 60 miles, and elevations that vary between 1,000 and 3,000 feet. The highest point of the Aravalli range is Guru Shikhar, which stands at an elevation of 5,650 feet on Mount Arbuda.

Source: 46 yrs on, Sariska Tiger Reserve awaits transfer of over 60% land