Terai-Arc Landscape (TAL)

About Terai-Arc Landscape: 

• It is an 810km stretch between the river Yamuna in the west and the river Bhagmati in the east.
• It comprises the Shivalik hills, the adjoining bhabhar areas and the Terai flood plains.
• It is spread across the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and the low lying hills of Nepal.
• About 22% of the wild tiger population in India is found across the TAL, living amidst some of the highest human and livestock densities on the subcontinent.
• The landscape boasts of some of India’s most well-known Tiger Reserves and Protected Areas such as Corbett Tiger Reserve, Rajaji National Park, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Valmiki Tiger Reserve and Nepal’s Bardia Wildlife Sanctuary, Chitwan National Park, and Sukhla Phanta Wildlife Sanctuary
• These forests are home to three flagship species, the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris), the greater one horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

Key Facts about Wildlife Institute of India

• It is an autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
• It was established in 1982.
• It offers training programs, academic courses and advisory in wildlife research and management.
• The Institute is actively engaged in research across the breadth of the country on biodiversity related issues.

Q1) What is Shivalik Hills?

The Shivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Range or the Outer Himalayas, are a low mountain range that runs parallel to the main Himalayan range. These hills mark the transition zone between the Indo-Gangetic Plains and the higher Himalayan mountains.

Source: What Terai tigers eat and what it tells about the habitat