Dehradun: Following the successful movement of wildlife through the 12-km elevated corridor on the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway, authorities have begun taking significant steps to strengthen wildlife protection in the region. In a major development, Uttarakhand has proposed the country’s first trans-boundary tiger reserve.
The proposed reserve will involve coordination between Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. A high-level meeting of Chief Wildlife Wardens from the three states is expected to be held soon to discuss the framework and implementation.
The wildlife corridor, built along the expressway, passes between Rajaji Tiger Reserve and the Shivalik forest division of Uttar Pradesh. With consistent animal movement, the corridor has become active, allowing wildlife to move freely across regions.
Officials said that animals from Rajaji can now travel through the Shivalik forest area to Himachal Pradesh and further towards Kalesar National Park. Additionally, plans are in place to release five more tigers from Jim Corbett National Park into adjoining ranges of Rajaji, which could further expand their movement across state boundaries.
The proposal for a trans-boundary tiger reserve was also discussed during the governing body meeting of the Corbett Foundation. In the first phase, coordination among Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh will be initiated before moving the proposal to higher administrative and ministerial levels, and eventually to the central government.
Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal emphasized expediting the process. Officials confirmed that after initial discussions at the Chief Wildlife Warden level, the proposal will be reviewed by state governments and later by ministers of the three states.
If approved, this will become India’s first trans-boundary tiger reserve, marking a significant step in wildlife conservation.
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Earlier, the Forest Minister also flagged off six vehicles for Jim Corbett National Park, including two rescue vehicles and four Bolero campers provided by ICICI Bank Foundation, to strengthen field operations.
