About Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve:
- It is located between the Vindhyan and Satpura ranges in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh.
- It was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993.
- The habitat is characterized by valleys, hills, and plains, with the Bandhavgarh fort prominently seen as a major landmark.
- The Bandhavgarh fort was said to be given by Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana to keep a watch on Lanka. Hence the name Bandhavgarh (Sanskrit: Brother's Fort).
- It consists of tropical moist, deciduous forests with sal, mixed forest, and grasslands.
- Bamboo stretches on the lower slopes of the region.
- Flora: Some of the most famous floral species include Saj (Terminaliatomentosa), Dhaora (Anogeissuslatifolia), Tendu, Arjun (Terminaliaarjuna), Amla (Emblicaofficinalis), Palas (Buteamonosperma), etc.
- Fauna:
- It is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India as well as in the world.
- Other important species include leopard, wild dog, wolf, jackal, chital, sambhar, barking deer, nilgai, chinkara, wild pig, chowsingha, etc.
