Ranthambore History

During the 19th century there was excellent forest cover almost all over India. The population density was very low and exploitation of forests to fulfill local needs was negligible. During that period the forests of Ranthambore were the private and exclusive hunting reserves of the Jaipur and Karauli royal family. These forests were managed by the Shikar Khana Department (Hunting Department) of the state. The local villagers were allowed to take many kinds of forest produces in unlimited quantities for their private use, after payment of an annual tax (called Babs). In selected areas of the forests of Ranthambore, which were used for hunting by the royalty, grazing and tree felling were strictly forbidden, but there were few restrictions, elsewhere. However, due to the low population density, there was hardly any damage to these dry deciduous forests and its wildlife.

By the end of the first quarter of the 20th century, the need for conservation of forests and wildlife, was being felt all over India. The population was growing rapidly and the forests were coming under pressure. In Ranthambore, the system of "royalty permits" for commercial felling (mainly for firewood and charcoal) of entire blocks of forests was taking its toll. In 1925, the Jaipur state created a post of Superintendent of Forests and in 1939 the Jaipur Forest Act was enacted. The Rajasthan forest Act. was enacted in 1953, giving these forests some legal protection. In 1955, these forests were declared as "Sawai Madhopur sanctuary" and the practice of sale of forest produce through "royalty permits" came to an end. This was when the forests of Ranthambore received their first "real" protection. However, legal hunting continued unabated till 1973 and by then the tiger population was almost totally decimated.

In 1973 a part of this Sawai Madhopur sanctuary came under Project tiger scheme. At that time there were 16 villages inside the sanctuary but between 1976 and 1979, 12 of these villages were shifted outside the sanctuary. In 1980, in order to give greater protection to the forests, an area of 282.03 sq. k.m. of the inner part of Sawai Madhopur sanctuary was declared as national park. Since then the state Government stopped collection of any forest produce from sanctuary and national parks. In the year 1983, 647 square k.m. of forests lying to the North of the National park were declared as the Kela Devi Sanctuary and included in the Tiger Project. Similarly, in 1984, 130 square k.m. of forests lying to the South of the Ranthambore National Park were declared as Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary and included in Tiger Project.

During the 1970s, tiger sightings were extremely rare in Ranthambore but by the mid and late 1980s, as a result of the decade long protection given to the forests, Ranthambore became the best place in the world to see wild tigers. Ranthambore tiger reserve attained notoriety for illegal poaching of tigers in the year 1992.. Since then the forest authorities became very strict and now, generally speaking, poaching is not a serious threat in these forests. Since 1992, the tiger population has gradually recovered and in 2002 the Park boasted of nearly 40 tigers, a density of nearly 10 tigers per 100 square kms. - which is one of the highest in the world.

In 2003 and 2004, disaster struck Ranthambore's tigers once again. A census conducted by the Rajasthan State Empowered committee showed that there were only 26 tigers in entire reserve and all of them were within the national park. The other areas of the reserve were totally devoid of tigers. To quote from the report of the Tiger Task Force - "in Ranthambore, which is now known to have lost a large number of its tigers......the threat of poaching remains...". In 2005, the Rajasthan and the Indian central government set up high powered committees to look into the state of Ranthambore and to suggest measures to improve the situation. This put the spotlight back on Ranthambore and the tiger crisis in India (what is now being called the "third tiger crisis") and since then the forest and the police department intensified the protection around the the tiger reserve. There have been no reports of tiger poaching from around Ranthambore from the beginning of 2005 and a large number of tiger cubs were born between the summer of 2005 and the summer of 2006. A very detailed census that was carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India using camera traps between 2006 and 2007 showed that there were 31 tigers in Ranthambore national park.