Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)

About Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)

• Location: It is located in the Chandrapur district in Maharashtra.
• It is the largest and oldest Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra. 
• The origin of the name "Tadoba" lies with the name of the god "Tadoba" or "Taru", worshipped by the tribes that live in the dense forests of the Tadoba and Andhari regions. "Andhari" refers to the Andhari River that meanders through the forest.
• The total area of the reserve is 625.4 sq. km. This includes Tadoba National Park, covering 116.55 sq. km and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary, covering 508.85 sq. KM.
• Corridor: The reserve has corridor linkages with Nagzira-Navegaon and Pench Tiger Reserves within the State.
• Habitat:
  • Biogeographically, the reserve falls in the Central plateau province of the Deccan Peninsula.
  • The habitat has undulating topography in the north and is rich in biodiversity.
• Vegetation: Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous 
• There are two lakes and one waterway in the reserve, Tadoba Lake, Kolsa Lake, and the Tadoba River.
• Flora:
  • It is blessed with thick forests covered with teak trees and other vegetation such as crocodile bark, salai, tendu, karaya gum, and mahua madhuca.
  • The reserve is adorned with patches of grass and bamboo shrubberies.
• Fauna:
  • The notable faunal species include the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, gaur, chital, and sambar.
  • As many as 280 species of birds are found, apart from reptiles (54 species), amphibians (11 species), and fishes (84 species).

Q1) What is the Deccan Plateau?

The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau that occupies major parts of western and southern India. The plateau covers an area of 4,22,000 sq. km, which is about 43% of the Indian landmass. The plateau’s name is anglicized from the Prakrit word called ‘dakkhin’, which comes from the Sanskrit word ‘daksina’, which means ‘The South’. The Deccan Plateau is situated in the southern part of the Indo-Gangetic basin and extends over eight Indian States which are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

Source: Tadoba’s tiger Bajrang, who sired50 cubs, killed in territorial fight