Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

Every year, on July 29, people in many countries celebrate World Tiger Day. This day is for learning about tigers and why we must protect them. Tigers are in danger because forests are being cut down, and some people hunt tigers for money. On this day, we talk about ways to save tigers and help them live safely in the wild.

One tiger has become very famous in stories about tiger protection. Her name is Machhli, and she lived in Ranthambore National Park in the state of Rajasthan, India. People in India and also in other countries know her name.

Sariska Tiger Reserve is a forest area in the Aravalli Hills, located in Rajasthan, India. Long ago, it had many Bengal tigers living in it. These tigers were an important part of the forest. Sariska got tiger reserve status in 1955. In 1972, India created the Wildlife Protection Act to protect wild animals, including tigers.

Even after protection measures were established, something terrible happened. By 2005, Sariska had zero tigers. All of them were gone. This was a huge shock to India. Questions began to arise, the most important being: can tigers be returned to a landscape where there are none?