The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declared Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh as the country’s 58th tiger reserve on March 9, 2025. This marks the state’s ninth tiger reserve, joining well-known reserves such as Kanha, Satpura, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Sanjay Dubri, Panna, and Veerangana Durgavati.
Abou Madhav Tiger Reserve
- Location: Situated in the Shivpuri district of the Chambal region.
- Area: Spanning 354.6 square kilometers, the park offers a mix of forested hills, grasslands, and lakes.
- Tiger Population: Currently, the reserve is home to five tigers, including two recently born cubs.
- Tiger Reintroduction: In 2023, three tigers (including two females) were introduced as part of a state-wide reintroduction project.
Conservation Context
- Project Tiger:
- Launched on April 1, 1973, this pioneering initiative has been crucial to tiger conservation across India.
- Operates as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), supporting tiger range states in the in-situ conservation of tigers.
- National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):
- A statutory body under the Ministry, constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2006).
- NTCA plays a key role in monitoring and strengthening tiger conservation efforts across the country.
