Pilibhit Tiger Reserve lies along the India-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh, Bharat alias India. It is spread over three districts, namely Pilibhit District, Lakhimpur Kheri District, and Bahraich District. It is one of the 50 Project Tiger reserves in India.
Tiger Reserve at Pilibhit
In September 2008, this became a Tiger reserve. River Sharda marks its North-Eastern boundary, while River Sharda and the River Ghaghara mark its South-Western boundary.
The core area of this tiger reserve spans 602.79 square kilometers, while the buffer zone area spans 127.45 square kilometers. Furthermore, this is the largest tiger reserve in the state. It lies at an altitude of 168 meters to 175 meters.
Pilibhit Reserve forests are rich in flora and fauna. It is a habitat for around 127 animal species and 556 bird species. Moreover, this tiger reserve is home to threatened species such as the Bengal tiger, Bengal floricans, swamp deer, hispid hare, and Indian leopard. In Pilibhit Reserve, you may spot a rare Francolin from the Phasianidae family.
There are approximately 2,100 flowering plants in these forests. Moreover, Six million people’s livelihood is also dependent on this Tiger reserve.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is another tiger reserve in the same state, Uttar Pradesh.
How Do I Go to Pilibhit Tiger Reserve?
This Tiger Reserve is located near Pilibhit town, the headquarters of the Pilibhit district in Uttar Pradesh state. NH 74, connecting Najibabad in Utter Pradesh state to Kashipur in Uttarakhand state, passes through Pilibhit town.
Pilibhit Junction railway station on the Bareilly-Lakhimpur railway line is a nearby railway station to the tiger reserve. But it is a small station with just three platforms. Only a few trains stop here. Bhojipura Junction railway station is the nearest major railway station where most trains stop. Puranpur railway station is yet another nearby small station.
At approximately 310 and 325 kilometers distance are the Lucknow and New Delhi airports, respectively.
Facts on the Indian Tiger (Royal Bengali Tiger) Population
India alias Bharat has about 70 % of the world’s Tiger population. Cambodia also has Indian tigers. However, their numbers are declining. There are talks of getting a few tigers from India to Cambodia.