Location: Ranthambore Tiger Reserve lies in the eastern part of Rajasthan state in Karauli and Sawai Madhopur districts, at the junction of the Aravali and Vindhya hill ranges.
Parks and Sanctuaries Included: It comprises of the Ranthambore National Park as well as Sawai Mansingh and Keladevi Sanctuaries.
The Ranthambore fort, from which the forests derive their name, is said to have a rich history of over 1000 years. It is strategically located atop a 700 feet tall hill within the park and is believed to have been built in 944 AD by a Chauhan ruler.
The vegetation includes grasslands on plateaus and dense forests along the seasonal streams.
The forest type is mainly tropical dry deciduous with ‘dhak’ (Butea monsoperma), a species of tree capable of withstanding long periods of drought, being the commonest.
This tree is also called as 'Flame of forest' and is one of the many flowering plants that add colour to the dry summers here.
Wildlife
The park is rich in wildlife with tiger at the apex of the food chain in mammals.
Other animals found here are leopards, striped hyenas, common or hanuman langurs, rhesus macaques, jackals, jungle cats, caracals, blackbuck, Blacknaped hare and chinkara, etc.
The park is rich in birds with about 272 species recorded so far.
This area with tigers in it represents the north-western limit of the Bengal tiger’s distribution range and is an outstanding example of Project Tiger’s efforts for conservation in the country.
