KAIMUR SANCTUARY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Recently, Bihar announced its plans to establish a second tiger reserve in Kaimur district, following the Valmiki Tiger Reserve, with an expected completion date by the end of this year or early 2024, while the state's total tiger population stands at 54.

Kaimur Sanctuary

• Location: Kaimur District of Bihar, near the town of Bhabua. 

o It is the largest sanctuary in the state of Bihar.

• This Sanctuary is located in the Kaimur Range. In the valley portions, there are several waterfalls of which the finest
• Area: 1,504.96 square kilometers (581.07 square miles)
• Flora: Sal, Saja, Mahua, Teak, Bamboo, Semal, and Pakar
• Fauna: Bengal tigers, Indian leopards, Indian boars, sloth bears, sambar deers, chitals, and nilgais.

Valmiki Tiger Reserve

• About: It is the only tiger reserve in Bihar and forms the easternmost limit of India’s Himalayan Terai forests.
• Location: Gangetic Plains bio-geographic zone.
• In 1978, it was designated as a Wildlife Sanctuary.
• In 1990, Valmiki National Park was established.
• The Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park is the country’s 18th Tiger Reserve