India’s tiger conservation efforts received a boost after the environment ministry notified the Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary in Rajasthan as India’s 52nd tiger reserve recently.

With this announcement, Rajasthan now has four tiger reserves — Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Sawai Madhopur district, Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota district and Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district.

India currently has 2,967 tigers spread over 20 states.

About Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary
The Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary, covering an area of about 252 square kilometres, acts as a buffer for the Ranthambore National Park on the Bundi-Nainwa Road in Rajasthan. The area had been declared a sanctuary on 20 May 1982, Section 5 of the Rajasthan Wildlife and Bird Protection Act, 1951. It home to a large number of wild animals such as the Indian Wolf, leopard, striped hyena, sloth bear, golden jackal, chinkara, nilgai and fox.

Why is Ramgarh important to tiger conservation?
Experts note that while Ramgarh doesn’t have a high tiger population, it plays a critical role for the movement of tigers.

The Ramgarh sanctuary will connect the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Sawai Madhopur district in the northeast with the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in the Kota district on the southern side and become an important tiger corridor.

Furthermore, this new reserve will help in controlling the overpopulation and the consequent effect of overcrowding in Ranthambore; today, the reserve houses 80 tigers over 1,334 sq km.