Pilibhit Tiger Reserve will become a reality by the year end in December. Chief Wildlife Warden Rupak De confirmed that the procedural processes were on the last leg. With the formation of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve the state will be having two tiger reserves.
Talking to "The Pioneer" Rupak De said that the processes are on where in consent is being collected by the fifty five villages on the brink of the village. "After the consent is received an application will be sent to the State
Government and when procedures complete a notification for the formation of the Reserve will be issued" said De.
With the formation of the Pilibhit TigerReserve the Chief Wildlife Warden said that it would add to the National Bio Capital of the state. "The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve emerged in 1977 and so it is after a very long time that the state would be having another Tiger Reserve. There are several states which have more than one tiger reserve and the state of Uttar Pradesh had been lagging behind in this" said De.
The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve will have an area of 400-500 square kilometers and has about 35-40 tigers. "The need for the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is to create conservation spaces for animals. " It is important to have these conservation
spaces and we will get funds from the National Tiger Conservation Authority to improve the conservation Processes. Besides it also helps in limiting man animal conflict cases." he said.
On being asked that Forest Department had been continuously criticized for its management of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, De said that assessments were also done by the National Conservation Authority of India. "The
National Tiger Conservation Authority of India carries out regular monitoring of the Reserve and they have rated the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve as one of the best in the country" he said. Once the area is declared a tiger reserve efforts will be made to boost security and management will be done as per the management plans.