Pilibhit Tiger Reserve gets TX2 Global Award for Doubling Tiger Population

The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) and the Uttar Pradesh Forest department won the first-ever international award called TX2.  The tiger reserve have won the award in the context of doubling the number of tigers in four years.

Highlights

• There was a set target of doubling the number of tigers within 10 years. But, the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve have completed the target in just four years starting from 2014.
• The tiger reserve became the first to receive the award among the 13 tiger range countries.
• The reserve had 25 tigers in the year 2014. Now, it increased up to 65 in 2018. Figure does not include the tiger cubs below the age of one year.

About TX2 Global Award

• The TX2 award was virtually presented to the principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) of the state, Sunil Pandey.
• The award was presented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) head of ecosystems and biodiversity, Mindori Paxton.

Gobal Target of Doubling the Tiger Population

The global target of doubling the tiger population was set in the year 2010. The partners in TX2 award  namely, UNDP, Global Tiger Forum, World Wide Fund for Nature, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Conservation Assured/Tiger Standards and the Lion’s Share had collectively set the target.

Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

This tiger is situated in Pilibhit district and Shahjahanpur District of Uttar Pradesh. The reserve forms the part of the Terai Arc Landscape. It is situated in the upper Gangetic Plain Biogeographic Province. Rivers like Sharda, Chuka, Mala and Khannot originates from the tiger reserve. The reserve is home to sal forests, tall grasslands and swamp. These are maintained by periodic floods from rivers.