Madhav Tiger Reserve: India’s 58th, Madhya Pradesh Leads
Why in the news
Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav declared Madhav National Park the 58th tiger reserve, lifting Madhya Pradesh’s total to nine.
Key facts
- Park dates to 1956 (under the MP National Parks Act, 1955); its new core zone is 355 sq km.
- It had no tigers until 2023, when three were translocated (one male, two females); there are now seven.
- It links Ranthambore (Rajasthan) with Kuno National Park (MP), so tigers may compete with cheetahs for prey.
- MP holds 785 tigers, the highest; reserves include Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Satpura and Pench.
- Kuno’s cheetahs came from Namibia and South Africa; Gir lions may be shifted later, and lion-cheetah coexistence is under review.
| Period | Tiger history |
|---|---|
| Early 1900s | About 40,000 tigers |
| 1960s | 2,000-4,000 left (hunting, poaching, deforestation, fur trade) |
| 1969 | IBWL advised banning wild cat skin exports |
| 1972 | IUCN’s Red Data Book: tiger endangered |
| 1973 | Project Tiger with 9 reserves |
Creating a reserve
- State proposes, NTCA reviews and recommends, State notifies.
- Each reserve has a strictly protected core and a buffer for sustainable human use; plans include corridors and community livelihoods.
- Funding: 60:40 Centre-State; 90% Centre for Northeastern and Himalayan States. It covers anti-poaching, habitat, conflict control, village relocation and evaluation.
Exam angle
- 58th reserve; MP has 9.
- Census 2023: 3,682 tigers.