New Delhi: The Ratapani Tiger Reserve is located in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen and Sehore districts. The Ratapani is a hidden jewel which is rich in flora and fauna with a wide variety of mammals and birds calling it their home. The reserve is spread over 825.90 sq km and is situated in the lap of the Vindhya Range. It encompasses the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters which is a UNESCO Heritage Site and many other historical and religious destinations like Ginnourgarh Fort, Keri Mahadeo, Jholiyapur Dam etc. The place is near Bhopal and its forests are relatively untouched.
When did Ratapani become a tiger reserve?
Since 1976, Ratapani has been a wildlife sanctuary. In March 2013, it got the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s in-principle approval to become a tiger reserve. On December 2, 2024, the Indian government officially announced it as a tiger reserve. The Ratapani is the eighth tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh after Pench, Kanha, Satpura, Sanjay, Veerangana Durgavati, Panna and Bandhavgarh.
The total area of Ratapani Tiger Reserve is 1,271.465 square kilometres and the core area covers 763.812 square kilometres. With the establishment of the Ratapani Tiger Reserve, the entire core area falls within the boundaries of the Ratapani Tiger Sanctuary.
The flora and fauna in Ratapani Tiger Reserve
Apart from the tiger, animals which are found in Ratapani include leopard, hyena, fox, jackal and dhole among the carnivores. Among the herbivores found in the place include sambar, chital, nilgai, langur, four-horned antelope, and wild boar. The reserve is also home to omnivorous sloth bears. Smaller animals like mongooses, squirrels and porcupines can be seen frequently. Also, over 150 species of birds call Ratapani their home including common babbler, bulbul, crimson-breasted barbet, bee-eater, cuckoo, kingfisher, baya, lark, kite, and Bengal vulture.
Ratapani is rich in birds and there is a dam at the sanctuary’s periphery which invites thousands of migratory birds in winter. Oriental white-backed vultures, red-headed vultures and long-billed vultures are seen perched in the trees. Large wading birds like the painted stork, sarus crane, white-necked stork and black-necked stork are found in the waterbodies in Ratapani. The sanctuary’s rich diversity of terrestrial species calls for a proper bird survey of the area.
Ratapani Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh boasts diverse flora and fauna. Home to tigers, leopards, various bird species, and a rich history encompassing the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, it’s a hidden gem near Bhopal. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
