Critical Tiger Habitat

About Critical Tiger Habitat:

• It is also known as core areas of tiger reserves—are identified under the Wild Life Protection Act (WLPA), 1972.
• These are based on scientific evidence that "such areas are required to be kept as inviolate for the purpose of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of the Scheduled Tribes or such other forest dwellers".
• The notification of CTH is done by the state government in consultation with the expert committee constituted for the purpose.

Key facts about Sariska Tiger Reserve

• It is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. It is well nestled in the Aravali Hills.
• It is the first reserve in the world to successfully relocate tigers.
• It 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: Dhok trees, salar, kadaya, gol, ber, Banyan, gugal, bamboo, kair, adusta, etc.

Fauna: A variety of other wild animals, like the leopard, sambhar, chital and nilgai etc

Q1: What is a Tiger Reserve?

Tiger Reserve is a legally declared protected area dedicated to the conservation of striped big cats. A tiger reserve, on the other hand, could be a national park or wildlife sanctuary. The Sariska Tiger Reserve, for example, is also a national park.

Source: Explained: The history of Supreme Court orders against illegal mining in Sariska reserve