Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR)

• 19 Jul 2025

Why in News? 

A suspected tiger attack near Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on Thursday killed a person, marking the second such incident in three days, leading officials to consider seeking permission to shoot the tiger. 

Key Points 

About Pilibhit Tiger Reserve   

• It is located in the Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur districts of Uttar Pradesh. It was notified as a Tiger Reserve in the year 2014.  
  • In the year 2020, it won the international award TX2 for doubling the number of tigers in the last four years.  
• It is part of the Terai Arc landscape in the Upper Gangetic Plain.  
• The Gomti River originates from this reserve, which is also the catchment area of several other rivers like Sharda, Chuka, and Mala Khannot. 
•  Flora and Fauna: It is home to a habitat for over 128 animals, 326 bird species, and 2,100 flowering plants. 
  • Wild animals include tigers, swamp deer, Bengal florican, leopard, etc. 
  • It consists of dense sal forests, plantations, and grasslands with several water bodies. 

About Human-Animal Conflict 

• Definition: Human-animal conflict refers to situations where human activities, such as agriculture, infrastructure development, or resource extraction, come into conflict with wild animals, leading to negative outcomes for both humans and animals. 

 

• Government Measures to Tackle Human-Animal Conflict: 
  • The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: The act provides the legal framework for the activities, Prohibition of hunting, the Protection and management of wildlife habitats, and the establishment of protected areas, etc. 
  • The Biological Diversity Act, 2002: India is a part of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. It ensures that the Biological Diversity Act complements rather than contradicts existing laws concerning forests and wildlife. 
  • National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016): It focuses on strengthening and enhancing the protected area network, on the conservation of Endangered wildlife and their habitats, on controlling trade in wildlife products, and on research, education, and training. 
  • Project Tiger: Project Tiger is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, launched in 1973.  
  • Project Elephant: It is a centrally sponsored scheme and was launched in February 1992 for the protection of elephants, their habitats, and corridors.