Under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Madhya Pradesh’s sustained efforts to strengthen wildlife conservation have earned national and international acclaim. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, has declared the Kanha Tiger Reserve as the best tiger habitat in the country. The reserve also tops the list in herbivore population, making it an ideal ecosystem for big cats.
Spanning a vast 2,074 sq km area—including a core zone of 917.43 sq km and a buffer zone of 1,134 sq km—Kanha is home to approximately 1.02 lakh herbivores. The density of herbivores stands at 69.86 per sq km, with a total biomass of 12.6 lakh kg, supporting a rich predator-prey balance crucial for tiger survival.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav lauded the efforts of the Forest Department, calling upon other reserves to emulate Kanha’s model. The reserve’s success is attributed to proactive habitat management practices such as grassland maintenance, water resource development, shrub clearance, and the removal of invasive lantana grass.
To combat summer water shortages, authorities have created artificial water bodies, installed solar-powered borewells, and deepened ponds. Moreover, the use of the M-STriPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) mobile app has enhanced patrolling and wildlife monitoring, with over 88,600 km patrolled in April 2025—India’s highest.
The strategic relocation of villages from the core zone has allowed for the natural regeneration of grasslands, reducing human interference and boosting wildlife populations. Translocation initiatives and the creation of wildlife corridors have led to a surge in species like barasingha, chital, and gaur.
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