Sariska Tiger Reserve is a protected area located in Alwar district, Rajasthan, India. It covers a core tiger habitat area of 881 km² (340 sq mi) and a surrounding area of 322.23 km², totaling 1203.34 km². The reserve includes scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, grasslands, and rocky hills. This area was set aside for hunting by the Alwar state and became a wildlife sanctuary in 1958. It was designated a tiger reserve in 1978 as part of India's Project Tiger. The sanctuary was later upgraded to a national park in 1982, covering about 273.8 km² (105.7 sq mi). It is the first reserve in the world to successfully relocate tigers. The area is important for biodiversity and is part of the Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor.

The park is located within the Aravalli Range and the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion. It contains valuable natural resources, such as copper. Despite a 1991 Supreme Court ban on mining, marble mining continues to affect the environment.

Geography

• Total area is 881 square kilometers, which is about 340 square miles.
• Elevation ranges from 300 to 722 meters, or about 984 to 2,369 feet.
• The average yearly rainfall is 700 millimeters, or 28 inches.
• The region has several types of forests, including tropical, dry, deciduous, and tropical thorn.

Flora

The most common tree in the forests is called dhok (Anogeissus pendula). Other trees found in the area include salar (Boswellia serrata), kadaya (Sterculia urens), dhak (Butea monosperma), gol (Lannea coromandelica), ber (Ziziphus mauritiana), and khair (Acacia catechu). Additional plants present are bargad (Ficus benghalensis), arjun (Terminalia arjuna), gugal (Commiphora wightii), or bamboo. Many shrubs grow in the region, such as kair (Capparis decidua), adusta (Adhatoda vesica), and jhar ber (Ziziphus nummularia).

Fauna

In addition to the Bengal tiger, the reserve is home to many wildlife species, including sloth bear, Indian leopard, jungle cat, caracal, striped hyena, golden jackal, chital, sambar deer, nilgai, wild boar, small Indian civet, Javan mongoose, ruddy mongoose, honey badger, rhesus macaque, and Northern plains gray langur, as well as Indian hare. The reserve also has several bird species, such as grey francolin, white-throated kingfisher, Indian peafowl, bush quail, sandgrouse, treepie, golden-backed woodpecker, crested serpent eagle, and Indian eagle-owl.

Tiger extinction and relocation

In 2003, 16 tigers lived in the reserve. In 2004, no tigers were seen in the reserve, and no signs of tiger presence, such as footprints, tree scratches, or animal droppings, were found. The Rajasthan Forest Department stated that the tigers had temporarily moved outside the reserve and would return after the monsoon season. Project Tiger staff agreed with this explanation. In January 2005, it was reported that no tigers remained in Sariska.

In July 2008, two tigers from Ranthambhore National Park were moved to Sariska Tiger Reserve. Another female tiger was relocated in February 2009.

In 2012, two tiger cubs and their mother were spotted in the reserve, bringing the total number of tigers to seven, including five adults. In July 2014, two more cubs were seen, increasing the total to 11 tigers.

As of October 2018, there were 18 tigers, including five cubs. By 2020, the tiger population in the reserve reached 20. By 2023, the number had grown to 30 tigers.

In 2005, the Government of Rajasthan, along with the Government of India and the Wildlife Institute of India, planned to reintroduce tigers to Sariska and relocate nearby villages. Plans to build a bypass were also discussed. It was decided to bring one male and two female tigers from Ranthambhore National Park. The Wildlife Institute of India and the Government of Rajasthan used ISRO’s satellite technology to track the relocated tigers. The first tiger was moved by helicopter from Ranthambhore to Sariska on 28 June 2008.

Only two of four villages were actually relocated. The second village, Kankwari, was moved long after tigers were reintroduced. However, Kankwari Fort has been renovated by the state tourism department, which may break wildlife protection rules. The first relocated village was Bhagani. The issue of redirecting roads that cross the reserve, which is important for wildlife survival, remains unresolved.

In February 2009, one more tigress was moved from Ranthambhore to Sariska. On 28 July 2010, another tigress was brought from Ranthambhore National Park. By November 2010, five tigers—two males and three females—lived in the reserve. However, the first relocated tiger died from poisoning in November 2010. The first three relocated tigers shared the same father, and the first two tigresses had the same mother.