Bor Tiger Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary which was declared as a tiger reserve in July 2014. It is located near Hingani in Wardha District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a home to a variety of wild animals. The reserve covers an area of . which includes the drainage basin of the Bor Dam.
It is notable that Bor Tiger Reserve and some adjacent protected areas will be merged with Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) as a 'Satellite core area', to more than double the area of that well established tiger reserve.
Bor Tiger Reserve is centrally located among several other Bengal tiger habitats including: Pench Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, to the northeast; Nagzira Navegaon Tiger Reserve, to the east northeast; Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, to the east southeast; Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve, to the southeast; Melghat Tiger Reserve, to the west northwest and Satpura National Park and Tiger Reserve, to the northwest.
Zones
In April, 2012, the Maharashtra state government issued a notification adding to the old area of Bor Sanctuary. The new Core Zone of is the most protected and inviolate part of the sanctuary where the public is not allowed. It comprises 95.7% of the total area. Most of the core area is contiguous with good forest of Wardha Forest Division and Nagpur Forest Division.
The Eco-tourism Zone of designated for public access for nature and wildlife tourism comprises 4.3% of the total sanctuary area. The purpose of the tourism zone is to educate the public about the significance of nature and wildlife conservation and to stimulate their environmental awareness.
The Buffer Zone is less protected forest area near the sanctuary that serves as a protective barrier for the core area.
The Bor Tiger Reserve is physically divided by the Bor Reservoir into 2 sections, previously; 2/3 (), as the west part and 1/3 (), as the eastern part. 95% of the western part is in Wardha district and 90% of the eastern part is in Nagpur district. The Bor Reservoir area is about and is not included in the total sanctuary area.
Climate
There are three seasons; summer, winter and the rainy season.
Culture
There are Buddhist temple(vihar) where buddhist teaching takes place .There are some religious places in the sanctuary such as a Shiva temple at Khori-Khapa, Bruhaspati Temple at Chauki, Hanuman Temple at Khadki and Ganesh Temple at Kelzar.
It is believed this was an important place in Mahabharata time, namely about the early Gupta period (c. 4th century CE). Archaeological remains known as Nasargarh and Gidamgarh reveal the existence of a seat of power here in the beginning of the 1st century.
Flora
The sanctuary is in the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests ecoregion, with the main species being teak, ain, tendu (East Indian ebony) and bamboo.
The main herbs found in the sanctuary are tarot, tenella, tarwar, gokhru, wight (bracteata), vanbhendi, velatri and waghori.
Fauna
Mammal species such as the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Indian bison, blue bull, chital, sambar deer, peacock, barking deer, mouse deer, monkey, wild boar, sloth bear, and wild dog live here. Tigers As per the 2010-11 tiger estimation report, there are 24 tigers in the Pench and Bor landscape. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) estimated the presence of 12 tigers in and around the sanctuary but the number has increased to 15, with three new cubs sighted in March 2011. A tigress with two-month-old cubs; one male and two females, was first sighted by the field staff in the sanctuary's core zone.
The annual births of new tiger cubs shows that the Bor is a breeding ground for tigers, with cubs born here each of the past four years. In 2008, a tigress had three cubs, then one more tigress had two cubs in 2009, followed by another tigress with one cub in 2010 and three cubs in 2011.
The field director of Pench Tiger Reserve said the 2011 births seem to be the first litter of this tigress. "Better protection, good prey base and availability of water are three key factors why Bor is becoming a safe haven for tigers." Birds There are more than 160 species of birds belonging to 46 families of 16 different orders recorded in the sanctuary. This includes over 10 species of migratory birds and over 9 species of endangered birds. Reptiles The reserve is home to over 26 species of reptiles belonging 11 families, of which 6 species are endangered, namely, Indian cobra, Russell’s viper, Indian rock python, Indian rat snake, Chequered keelback and monitor lizard.