Tadoba

The Gond kings ruled over this area for several centuries, as they did much of central India. The Marathas established their rule in the the 18th century, followed by the British about a century later. Tadoba’s forests and grasslands became part of the ‘Raj’ and subject to its forest management practices. The protection of timber stocks was the primary interest, wildlife conservation followed incidentally. The area was declared a Reserved Forest in 1879. The shooting of tigers, except with ‘special permits’ was stopped in 1905. Restrictions were placed on the shooting of all animals in 1931. A total of 45 sq km surrounding the Tadoba lake was proclaimed a sanctuary in 1935. In 1942 the area was declared a game reserve, with Moharli, Karwa, Kalsa and Mul being the designated shooting blocks. Permits were issued to shoot tigers in the Karwa and Kalsa blocks.

Tadoba became one of India’s earliest national parks when it was so notified in 1955, the same year as Kanha. Yet its forests, grasslands and wildlife continued to suffer due to overexploitation, extensive cultivation, hunting and poaching. It was only in the 1970s that the four hunting blocks were finally closed for business, though illegal hunting continued. In 1986, 506.32 sq km of forest land adjoining the national park was notified as the Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary. The national park and the wildlife sanctuary were finally merged in 1993 when Tadoba – Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), spanning 622.87sq km, was established.