• Rajasthan got its fifth tiger reserve as National Tiger Conservation Authority gave its final approval to Dholpur-Karauli Reserve.
  • It will be India’s 54^th Tiger Reserve.
• The Karauli-Sarmathura-Dholpur sanctuary in Rajasthan has been officially designated areas as Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve.

Tiger reserves are constituted using a core and buffer method. The core area is legally designated as a national park or a sanctuary. In contrast, the buffer or peripheral areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land, which is maintained as a mixed-use area.

• The other four tiger reserves in Rajasthan: Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve, Mukandra Hills Tiger Reserve, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and Sariska Tiger Reserve.

• The new tiger reserve will span 1,058 sq km, including 368 sq km of core area and 690 sq km of buffer.
• The forest areas designated to be declared as a tiger reserve currently have nine tigers.

Note-

• Project Tiger, launched in 1973, has expanded its coverage to 53 tiger reserves across 18 of our tiger range states covering a total area of 75,796.83 sq km(2.3% of India’s geographical area).