From British hunting grounds to a globally awarded tiger conservation success story
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, located in the Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh along the India-Nepal border, has a rich history that stretches from the British colonial era to becoming one of India's most celebrated tiger conservation success stories. From unprotected hunting grounds to a globally awarded tiger habitat, the journey of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is a remarkable example of what focused conservation efforts can achieve in a short span of time.
The history of Pilibhit dates back to 1801 when Rohilkhand was ceded to the British and Pilibhit was a Pargana under the District of Bareilly. However, the roots of this region go even deeper. According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India, Pilibhit was once known as Hafizabad, named after the Rohila leader Hafiz Rahmat Khan, but later took its current name from a nearby village.
Historical records from the British Library also indicate that the city of Pilibhit existed in the late 18th century between 1770 and 1780, when the Marathas invaded the Rohilkhand region. With this invasion, the Kurmi community settled in this region and over time helped expand the boundaries of the city.
The region continued to evolve administratively, and in 2015 two new Tehsils named Kalinagar and Amariya were created. Today Pilibhit district is divided into three Tehsils and four Parganas, a structure that has shaped the land management and forest governance of the region for over a century.
Pilibhit becomes Pargana under District of Bareilly when Rohilkhand was ceded to the British.
Redistribution of area — the Parganas of Pilibhit, Jahanabad, and Bisalpur were reorganised into separate Tehsils.
Bareilly loses Pilibhit — a temporary administrative separation that was reversed in 1841.
Bilheri and other Terai Parganas were taken under direct management.
Richha attached to the new Baheri Tehsil with Pargana Jahanabad assigned to Pilibhit.
Pilibhit subdivision formally formed comprising Jahanabad, Pilibhit, and Puranpur.
Pilibhit converted into a separate district following years of administrative evolution.
Two new Tehsils — Kalinagar and Amariya — were created, expanding the administrative structure.
Long before it became a tiger reserve, the dense sal forests of Pilibhit served as private hunting grounds for British officials and royal families during the colonial era. Wildlife was abundant but entirely unprotected, and the forests were treated primarily as a resource for timber and sport hunting.
Long before it became a tiger reserve, the dense sal forests of Pilibhit served as private hunting grounds for British officials and royal families during the colonial era. Wildlife was abundant but entirely unprotected, and the forests were treated primarily as a resource for timber and sport hunting.
After independence in 1947, the forests were brought under the management of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and converted into timber-yielding reserved forests. For several decades, commercial forestry took priority over wildlife conservation, and the area had no formal protected status for its rich and diverse wildlife population.
As tiger populations declined sharply across India through the 1980s and 1990s, conservationists and wildlife experts began identifying critical habitats that could support tiger recovery. The Pilibhit forests emerged as a strong candidate due to their vast open grasslands, dense sal forest corridors, and the presence of the Sharda, Khakra, and Mala rivers — creating an ideal ecosystem for Bengal tigers and their prey base.
The proposal clearly highlighted the region's special Terai ecosystem, its vast open spaces, sufficient prey availability, and its strategic location along the India-Nepal border as key reasons for granting it tiger reserve status under Project Tiger.
Building on the 2005 recommendation, a formal and detailed proposal to establish a dedicated tiger reserve in Pilibhit was officially submitted to the Government of India in April 2008. The proposal clearly highlighted the region's special Terai ecosystem, its vast open spaces, sufficient prey availability, and its strategic location along the India-Nepal border as key reasons for granting it tiger reserve status under Project Tiger.
The Government of India officially accepted the recommendation and established Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in September 2008. PTR began functioning within the existing Pilibhit Forest Division, with formal wildlife conservation management, dedicated anti-poaching measures, and habitat protection programmes put in place for the first time. This was a turning point for the forests of Pilibhit — marking the shift from a commercially managed forest to a protected tiger habitat.
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve was formally declared a full-fledged tiger reserve under India's Project Tiger initiative in June 2014, making it the 46th tiger reserve in the country. The 2014 declaration significantly elevated the reserve's legal protection status, brought dedicated government funding, and established stronger management structures for long-term tiger conservation in the Terai landscape of Uttar Pradesh.
In November 2020, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve won the prestigious global TX2 Award from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for successfully doubling its tiger population in just four years against an international target of ten years. The tiger count grew from 25 tigers in 2014 to over 65 tigers by 2018-19. Among 13 tiger range countries worldwide, Pilibhit was the very first tiger reserve to receive this extraordinary honour.
In December 2020, the reserve was officially recognised as part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, acknowledging its vital role in integrated ecosystem management, long-term biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development in the Terai landscape. This dual recognition in 2020 made it one of the most celebrated years in the reserve's short but extraordinary history.
This dual recognition in 2020 made it one of the most celebrated years in the reserve's short but extraordinary history.
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve won the prestigious global TX2 Award from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for successfully doubling its tiger population in just four years against an international target of ten years. The tiger count grew from 25 tigers in 2014 to over 65 tigers by 2018-19. Among 13 tiger range countries worldwide, Pilibhit was the very first tiger reserve to receive this extraordinary honour.
The reserve was officially recognised as part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, acknowledging its vital role in integrated ecosystem management, long-term biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development in the Terai landscape. This recognition acknowledged Pilibhit's importance far beyond the boundaries of India.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1770–1780 | City of Pilibhit existed — Maratha invasion of Rohilkhand region |
| 1801 | Pilibhit becomes Pargana under District of Bareilly, British rule |
| 1824 | Redistribution of area — Tehsils and Parganas reorganised |
| 1833 | Bareilly loses Pilibhit — temporary administrative separation |
| 1841 | Pilibhit reunited with Bareilly |
| 1851 | Bilheri and Terai Parganas taken under direct management |
| 1863 | Richha attached to new Baheri Tehsil — Jahanabad assigned to Pilibhit |
| 1865 | Puranpur transferred to Pilibhit |
| 1871 | Pilibhit subdivision formally formed with Jahanabad and Puranpur |
| 1879 | Pilibhit converted into a separate district |
| Pre-1947 | Dense forests used as British hunting grounds and royal shikar forests |
| Post-1947 | Managed as timber-yielding reserved forest by UP Forest Department |
| 2005 | First conservation proposal initiated by wildlife experts |
| April 2008 | Formal proposal submitted to Government of India |
| September 2008 | Pilibhit Tiger Reserve officially established |
| June 2014 | Declared India's 46th Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger |
| 2015 | Two new Tehsils — Kalinagar and Amariya — created |
| 2018–19 | Tiger population grows from 25 to 65+ in four years |
| November 2020 | Won global TX2 Award — first among 13 tiger range countries |
| December 2020 | Recognised as part of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve |