Ranthambhore National Park

RANTHAMBHORE TRAVEL

Ranthambhore National Park :: Ranthambhore Wildlife Conservation

Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in the Indian state of Rajasthan comprises distinct areas with varied conservation history and virtually separated geographically, with mere narrow corridors linking them to the core, Ranthambhore National Park, Keladeve Sanctuary and Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary.

Ranthambhore National Park
The Ranthambhore National Park, at the junction of the Aravalis and the Bindhyas, is a unique juxtaposition of natural and historical richness, standing out conspicuously in a vast arid and denuded tract of eastern Rajasthan, barely 14 kilometer from the town of Sawai Madhopur. It is spread over a highly undulating topography, varying from gentle to steep slopes, from flat-topped hills (Indala, Doodh-Bhat and Chiroli) of the Bindhyas to the conical hillocks (Lahpur, Nalghati, Khachida, Anantpur etc.) to narrow, rocky gorges. An important geological feature, the "Great Boundary Fault" where the Bindhyas were brought against the much ancient Aravalis, passes from here.

Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary
The terrain is flat and rocky and there are some hills with gentle slopes. The Devpura irrigation dam in the Sanctuary is a useful source of water for wildlife and a good habitat for aquatic for a and fauna.

Keladevi Sanctuary
The Keladeve Sanctuary is the northern extension of the Ranthambhore in Kaarauli and Sawai Madhopur districts. It has hills in its southern, northern and eastern parts. At many places, it has the curious feature of two separate ridges running parallel to each other. The forest between such ridges is dense. The Sanctuary is bound to the west by the river Banas and to the south by the river Chambal. The Banas finally flows into the Chambal.

Some gorges, due to high moisture retention and cooler temperature, are nature's treasure houses. Locally, they are known as "Khoh" .The slopes of the Khos are covered with dense forest. These Khohs are the most suitable habitat for wildlife. The main Khohs in Keladevi are Nibhera , Kudka, Chiarmul, Ghanteshwar, Jail and Chidi. The forest cover is fairly sparse and spread out in the other parts.

Forest Types
Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests

General Information:
Best Time to Visit: October to June.
Nearest Town: Sawai Madhopur (11 km)
How to Gethere:
Air: Jaipur (145 km)
Rail: Sawai Madhopur (11 km)

Ranthambore National Park Fact File

Infrastructure
Inadequate

Constraints Staff
Of the total sanctioned strength of 214 posts, there are 20 vacancies. The staff posted in the Reserve is old and traditional while wildlife management has emerged as a science. It has become increasingly difficult to entrust them with tasks requiring a certain level of training required to keep them fit to take coordinated action against poachers and other miscreants.

The strike force of the flying squad is inadequate because a skeleton staff. There is a lot of pressure for fuel wood from Sawai Madhopur and Khandar towns. Women do most of the wood collection. Dealing with women offenders is difficult in the absence of women staff.

Funds
The funds are generally received late and are inadequate for developmental works.

Grazing
There are 332 villages in and around Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve within a 5 km. radius. The cattle pressure on the Reserve is as follows:

Portions of the Reserve	Number of Villages inside	No.of villages within 5 k.m	Cattle population
Ranthambhore National park Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary Kuaji close Area Keladeve Sanctuary	4 4 0 15	123 40 23 146	51356 31290 8092 52730
Total	23	332	143468

There is a considerably large grazing pressure on the Reserve. The period July-October is the cost problematic period since most of the cattle form the nearby billages move into the forest of the Reserve at this time. The villagers persistently attempt to invade the core area, i.e. Ranthambhore National Park. During 1998.99, 95 cases of illegal affected regeneration. The quality of grasses has deteriorated in the growth of ungulate population.

Due to heavy grazing pressure, it has not been possible to constitute core areas for Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary and Keladevi Sanctuary. The recurrent conflict with the villagers on the mater of grazing in the Ranthambhore National Park has alienated the villagers from the management.

Fire
Occasional cases.

Poaching of Fauna and Flora
Traditionally, the people of the Mogya, Kanjar, Banjara and Nat communities are associated with poaching. Any well-organized effort to control poaching is lacking. Several poaching cases go unreported because of poor communication with the villagers.

RANTHAMBHORE TRAVEL

Ranthambhore National Park :: Ranthambhore Wildlife Conservation