Ranthambore Tiger Reserve | 17 Jul 2025

Source:IE 

India is building its first large-scale animal overpasses on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, allowing wildlife to cross safely through the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve’s (RTR) buffer zone. 

• The overpasses are camouflaged with vegetation, and noise barriers to reduce traffic noise, helping protect animal behaviour and movement. 
• Ranthambore Tiger Reserve: It is located in the Sawai Madhopur district, Rajasthan, nestled between the Aravalli and Vindhya hill ranges.  
  • RTR includes Ranthambore National Park, Sawai Madhopur Sanctuary, Keladevi Sanctuary, and part of the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary. 
  • It is named after the historic Ranthambore Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the reserve. 
• Rivers: RTR is bound by the Banas River in the north and the Chambal River in the south. 
• Lakes: There are many lakes in the RTR named Padam Talab, Raj Bagh Talab and Malik Talab. 
• Vegetation: Predominantly dry deciduous forest and tropical spike type. 
• Fauna: Home to the Royal Bengal tiger, leopards, caracals, sambar, chital, chinkara, wild boars, and several species of birds like sarus crane, serpent eagle, and painted spurfowl. 
  • As per the 2023 tiger census, RTR shelters 71 tigers and cubs, making it the third most densely populated tiger reserve after Corbett and Kaziranga. 
• Fauna: Dominated by the Dhok tree (Anogeissus pendula), and other are Babul (Acacia nilotica), Gurjan (Lannea coromandelica), Gum (Sterculia urens), and Khair (Acacia catechu).