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Maharajas of Rewa
Claimed Bandhavgarh As Their Private Game
Reserve
Reserve as a private property worked in favour, as well as
against the interest of the wildlife in the area. While
the forests were well protected and hunting rights
remained in the hands of a selected few, the white tiger
was still not safe from human agression.
Maharaja Venkat Raman Singh shot 111 tigers by 1914, a
figure that was slightly above the auspicious number of
109 tigers that the Maharajas had intended to shoot. The
figure of 109 might have been considered a good omen for
kings, but for tigers it only heralded death and
extinction. Had Project Tiger not been launched in 1972
with the aim of protecting the tiger and its habitat, the
tiger may well have become a thing of the past. The
killing of tigers in Bandhavgarh stopped in 1968 when the
area was declared a National Park.
Flora
Sal (Shorea robusta) trees dominate almost half the forest
of Bandhavgarh. The sal tree is an important component of
the deciduous forests of North and Central India. Sal
forests were found throughout the northern parts of the
Deccan, extending from Madhya Pradesh to Orissa in one
continuous stretch. These magnificent forests have uniform
and thick growths of tall and straight sal trees that have
rounded leaves. The sal also provides precious timber and
yields a resin that is used as incense. Over the years,
legal and illegal logging has wiped out large parts of
these forests, and it is only in places like Bandhavgarh
that sal forests are still protected. On Bandhavgarh’s
upper slopes, a mixed forest replaces the sal forest,
while in the north are large stretches of bamboo and
grasslands. The undergrowth in Bandhavgarh is not very
dense.
Wildlife Population
Mammals & Reptiles
The Forest Department has recorded at least 22 species of
mammals and about 250 species of birds in the Park. Parts
of the forest that were cleared for cultivation have now
turned into grasslands where the chinkara (Indian
gazelle), nilgai (blue bull) and (four-horned antelope)
can be sighted. Groups of wild boar can also be seen
moving around, digging their snouts into the ground.
Occasionally, carnivores like jackals and foxes follow
their prey into the forest. The sambar (Indian stag) and
the muntjac (barking deer) inhabit the denser parts of the
forest along with herds of chital (spotted deer). Gaur
(Indian bison) herds can be seen in the Park only during
the months of March and April when they move down from the
higher hills to the meadows to graze.
A small population of blackbuck also exists around the
fort area. The blackbuck population was reintroduced to
the Park and is protected from predators by the old
masonry walls of the fort. A number of smaller animals
such as the ratel, porcupine, small Indian civet, palm
squirrel, lesser bandicoot rat, or predators like the
jungle cat, hyena and jackal, can also be seen during a
drive through the Park. Reptiles including cobras, kraits,
vipers, ratsnakes, pythons, lizards and turtles are more
elusive.
A lot of action that takes place in Bandhavgarh is up on
the trees, as two primate species, the rhesus macaque and
the Hanuman langur inhabit the Park. These monkeys are
easily visible and fun to watch. Large langur troops can
be seen frolicking and feeding on trees. The langur feeds
on leaves, some of which are so poisonous that even the
most seasoned insects avoid them. Chital herds are often
seen close to langurs, and both share a very special
relationship. Perched on treetops and equipped with keen
eyesight, the langur is a vital part of the alarm system
that warns against approaching predators like the tiger
and leopard. It is believed that for the most part, langur
and chital alarm calls mean the presence of a predator in
the area. |
