Chhattisgarh’s Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla declared India’s 56th and 3rd largest tiger reserve

The Chhattisgarh government has officially designated the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary as a new tiger reserve, bringing the total number of tiger reserves in the state to four. This important announcement was made following a notification issued on November 4, 2024, which was shared by the state’s Public Relations Department, detailing the reserve’s designated area. The new reserve will be known as the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve.

This addition further strengthens Chhattisgarh’s commitment to tiger conservation and enhances the state's role in preserving these iconic big cats within its rich natural landscapes. The creation of this new reserve also reflects the ongoing efforts to protect wildlife and expand the network of protected areas across the country.

On November 18, 2024, Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav congratulated Chhattisgarh on social media platform X, stating: “Let the roars get louder! As India continues to touch new milestones in tiger conservation, we have notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla in Chhattisgarh as the 56th tiger reserve. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is spread over 2,829 sq km. India continues to work towards a green future where humans and animals cohabit in harmony. Congratulations, Chhattisgarh!”

Let the roars get louder!
As India continues to touch new milestones in tiger conservation, we have notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla in Chhattisgarh as the 56th tiger reserve. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is spread over 2,829 sq km.India continues to work pic.twitter.com/5hAqBuUANh Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) November 18, 2024

The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve covers a total area of 2,829.38 sq km, with a core area of 2,049.2 sq km, which includes the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary. The Government of Chhattisgarh, on advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), notified the Guru Ghasidas - Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve across Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur and Balrampur districts of Chhattisgarh. The reserve also features a buffer zone of 780.15 sq km, making it the third-largest tiger reserve in the country, after the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh and the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam.

In line with India’s National Wildlife Plan, the newly established reserve follows a landscape approach to conservation. It is connected to the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, creating a nearly 4,500 sq km landscape complex. The reserve is also linked to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to the west and the Palamau Tiger Reserve to the east.

Located in the Chota Nagpur plateau and partly in the Baghelkhand plateau, the reserve offers diverse terrains, dense forests, and numerous streams and rivers, providing an ideal environment for a variety of wildlife, particularly tigers.

Tigers playing in Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh. (Image: X/@byadavbjp

The Zoological Survey of India has documented 753 species in the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, including 365 invertebrates and 388 vertebrates. The vertebrate species include 230 bird species and 55 mammal species, several of which are classified as threatened.

With this addition, Chhattisgarh now boasts four tiger reserves, strengthening the conservation efforts for the species through continued support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority under Project Tiger.

(With inputs from agencies)