"The Valmiki Tiger Reserve is located in the West Champaran district of Bihar. It represents a varied physiography like hills, Bhabar and Terai containing streams, Nullahs, Swamps and Marshes. These diverse ecological features of the reserve have resulted in rich floral and faunal diversity with tiger at the apex of the food chain. However, during recent years due to various anthropogenic factors, the ecosystem of the reserve has become so fragile that the faunal diversity is now threatened. This has necessitated urgent remedial measures to restore the ecological condition of the reserve in general and to conserve wildlife in particular. This requires a well drawn management programme for which basic prerequisites are the knowledge about the species composition, population dynamics of important species and the effects of fragmentation of natural habitats. The current state of knowledge on both, ecosystem and fauna of the reserve is inadequate. Realising the importance of the problem and paucity of information, scientists of the Zoological Survey of India have conducted faunistic surveys in this Tiger Reserve from 1993 to 1996 to ascertain the current faunal composition with special reference to the status and distribution of important species and to identify factors responsible for the damage to the ecosystem and wildlife. The present volume, which is the result of these studies, highlights the important faunal elements of the reserve and the socio-economic condition of the area. It is expected that the baseline information presented here will provide the background for formulating any rational management policy for conserving biodiversity in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve. "
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