Ratanmahal Sanctuary: Wild Tiger Settles, Gujarat Has Three Big Cats
Why in the news
A wild tiger has settled in Gujarat’s Ratanmahal Wildlife Sanctuary for nine months, a first in decades. Gujarat now shelters the Asiatic lion, Indian leopard and tiger together.
About the sanctuary
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Dahod district, on the Gujarat-Madhya Pradesh border; sloth bear range reaches Jhabua, MP |
| Declared | March 1982 |
| Area | 65 sq km reserve forest, 11 villages; interaction zone of 41 villages |
| History | Once part of the Devgadh Baria princely state |
Ecology
- Forests: dry teak, mixed deciduous, dry bamboo.
- Flora: dense mahuda trees, a key sloth bear food.
- Fauna: leopard, palm civet, four-horned antelope, langurs, pit viper.
- Sloth bears: Gujarat’s highest density.
Exam angle
- District: Dahod; bear food tree: mahuda.