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 622.87 sq km, was established.
