- It lies in the eastern part of Rajasthan state in Karauli and Sawai Madhopur districts, at the junction of the Aravalli and the Vindhya hill ranges.
- The reserve comprises the Ranthambore National Park as well as Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi Sanctuaries, each with varied conservation history.
- Geographically, narrow corridors link the two sanctuaries to the reserve’s core– the National Park.
- This isolated area with tigers in it represents the north-western limit of the Bengal tiger’s distribution range and is an outstanding example of Project Tiger’s efforts for conservation in the country.
The forest around the reserve
- The forest type is mainly tropical dry deciduous with ‘dhak’ (Butea monsoperma), a species of tree capable of withstanding long periods of drought, being the commonest.
- This tree is also called as ‘Flame of forest’ and is one of the many flowering plants that add colour to the dry summers here.
Timeline of the reserve
- The forests around the Ranthambore Fort were once the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. Their desire to preserve the game in these forests for sport was largely responsible for their conservation until the launch of Project Tiger.
- These were brought under the national project and declared a tiger reserve along with eight other sanctuaries and national parks in
- In 1980, 274.50 sq. km of the forest here was notified as Ranthambhore National Park.
- In 1992, the Tiger Reserve was expanded to include the adjoining Keladevi Sanctuary in the north and Sawai Man Singh sanctuary to the south along with other forests
- Today it covers an area of 1334 sq. km.
