Photograph: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters
Did you know that India has over 550 wildlife sanctuaries which are the habitat for 3,682 tigers, at last count, and other exotic species?
We fortunately, touch wood, still have extensive forest cover and rich biodiversity of which our tigers are a proud symbol.
Our nation has the highest population of this elusive species and wildlife tourism is a great reason to visit or travel within India this summer, folks.
If you consider yourself a tiger-wallah, test your knowledge about India's wide network of tiger reserves with this special quiz.
How many tiger reserves are there in India?
D. 55
(As of April 2024, there are 55 tiger reserves in India, spread across 18 states. Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, close to the Madhya Pradesh border, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority roster, is the newest addition to this growing list.
There are 3,682 wild tigers in India as per 2023 figures, which contribute to a whopping 75 per cent of the world's wild tiger population!)
Photograph: Kind courtesy Shriram Prasad for Rediff.com
Which state has more tiger reserves than any other in India?
A. Maharashtra
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. Gujarat
D. West Bengal
B. Madhya Pradesh
(Madhya Pradesh, which is the second-largest state in the country, boasts the highest tiger population in India.
As per the 2022 tiger census, the sprawling forests of that state shelter 785 tigers. Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve, Kanha Tiger Reserve or Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve or Bandhavgarh National Park, Pench Tiger Reserve or Pench National Park, Satpura Tiger Reserve, and Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (the latest one, established in 2023, spread across Sagar, Narsinghpur, Damoh districts) are all in Madhya Pradesh and tourists flock to this state for a peek at the tigers.)
Which is the smallest tiger reserve in India?
A. Pench Tiger Reserve
B. Melghat Tiger Reserve
C. Bor Tiger Reserve
C. Periyar Tiger Reserve
C. Bor Tiger Reserve
(Located near Hingni in the Wardha district of Maharashtra, the Bor Tiger Reserve or Bor Wildlife Sanctuary is the smallest tiger reserve in the country. Spread across a land area of 138.12 sq km, the forest was officially recognised as tiger habitat in 2014. It is said that at present there are about 8 to 10 tigers inside the sanctuary.)
Photograph: Parth Sanyal/Reuters
Which forest land is the home of tigers known to occasionally hunt humans as their territory decreases?
A. Buxa Tiger Reserve
B. Sunderban National Park and Tiger Reserve
C. Ranipur Tiger Reserve
D. Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve
B. Sunderban National Park and Tiger Reserve
(Located in the Sunderban delta, on the India-Bangladesh border, Sunderban Tiger Reserve has recorded the highest number of tiger attacks on humans. As the forest gets more and more affected by the increasing salinity, with water levels rising due to global warming, the mangroves are withering away, so is the tree cover for the tiger's prey.)
Photograph: Kind courtesy STPF_Pench Tiger Reserve
What is the name of the project to preserve endangered tigers?
A. Project Tiger
B. Save Tiger
C. Tiger Conservation Project
D. Protect Tiger, Save Nature
A. Project Tiger
(Introduced in 1973, Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation project facilitated by the Government of India to protect the vast population of tigers in the country. The programme aims to safeguard the tiger in their natural habitats within the country. At present, all 55 tiger reserves are involved in this project and the initiative has been successful in increasing the population of tigers significantly.)
