Reintroduction of tigers in Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav informed in a series of tweets about Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia releasing two tigers, a 4 year old male from Satpura Tiger Reserve and a three and half year old tigress from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves, into the specially created soft release enclosures in Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh.

Shri Yadav said Under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi India is making phenomenal progress in wildlife conservation and promoting tourism related livelihood opportunities for local communities.

Madhav National Park, one of the oldest National Park of Madhya Pradesh notified in 1956, had sizeable tiger population in the past. Over the years, the national park had sporadic presence of tiger and the last reported tiger presence was in 2012. Spread over an area of 354.61 sq km, the location of the park assumes conservation significance as it has the potential to connect Panna Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh with Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan.

As part of the proposal to re-establish tiger population in Madhav National Park, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department had prepared a plan for translocating 5 tigers (2 males and 3 females) from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and Panna Tiger Reserves and from the surroundings of Bhopal.

For housing the tiger, 3 enclosures of 1.3 ha each have been constructed. Each of these enclosure are interconnected through gates and provision for water, shade and natural tree cover has been made.

 The newly introduced tigers will be monitored round the clock by the field staff. A full time veterinary doctor equipped with rescue vehicle, cages, immobilizing gun, drugs has been deployed at the national park for tiger monitoring.