Current Context: The Supreme Court ordered the Rajasthan Government to immediately ban all mining in the core zone of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve to protect its critical habitat.
ABOUT RANTHAMBORE TIGER RESERVE:
- Location & Size: Sawai Madhopur district, southeastern Rajasthan; spans 1,411 sq km.
- Key Features:
- Named after Ranthambore Fort (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
- Bounded by Banas River (north) and Chambal River (south).
- Landscape & Vegetation:
- Dry deciduous forests, grassy meadows, and rocky plateaus.
- Dominant flora: Anogeissus pendula (dhok), Acacia, Prosopis.
- Fauna: Royal Bengal tiger, leopard, sambar, chital, caracal, wild boar.
- Historical Significance: Former hunting grounds of Jaipur’s Maharajas; now a flagship Project Tiger reserve.