New Tiger Reserve

1. Background & Key Announcement

• New Tiger Reserve: Madhav National Park, located in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, has been declared as the state’s 9th Tiger Reserve.
• Inauguration: The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh officially inaugurated this new tiger reserve status.

Madhya Pradesh is often called the “Tiger State of India” due to its significant tiger population and multiple tiger reserves. The addition of Madhav National Park to the list further strengthens tiger conservation efforts in the state.

2. Madhav National Park: 

1. Location: Shivpuri district, northwestern Madhya Pradesh.
2. Establishment: Originally notified as a National Park in 1958.
3. Area: Spans approximately 350+ square kilometers.
4. Landscape & Ecology:
   • Dry deciduous forests mixed with grasslands.
   • Home to diverse fauna, such as leopards, jackals, deer species (sambar, chital, nilgai), and various bird species.
   • Features scenic lakes like Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar, important for aquatic and avian biodiversity.
5. Historical Significance:
   • The region was once a royal hunting reserve of the Gwalior princely state.
   • The park contains historical structures such as George Castle, adding cultural and heritage value.

3. Why Declare a New Tiger Reserve?

1. Tiger Conservation & Recovery:

   • Madhav National Park had tigers historically, but numbers dwindled over time.
   • Upgrading it to a tiger reserve brings greater funding, stricter protection measures, and the possibility of tiger reintroduction or translocation from other reserves.

2. Strengthening the Wildlife Corridor Network:

   • Many tiger reserves function best when connected by wildlife corridors that allow gene flow and reduce man-animal conflict.
   • Madhav’s new status helps bolster the larger landscape-level conservation strategy in central India.

3. Boost to Eco-Tourism & Local Economy:

   • Tiger reserve status often attracts more visitors, promoting ecotourism.
   • This can provide sustainable livelihoods to local communities while encouraging conservation awareness.

4. Implementation of Project Tiger:

   • India’s Project Tiger (launched in 1973) aims to ensure a viable population of tigers in their natural habitats.
   • New reserves help achieve the project’s goals, supported by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

4. Other Tiger Reserves in Madhya Pradesh

While the exact numbering can vary depending on final notifications and proposed reserves, below are commonly recognized tiger reserves in the state:

1. Kanha Tiger Reserve
2. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
3. Pench Tiger Reserve
4. Satpura Tiger Reserve
5. Panna Tiger Reserve
6. Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve
7. Ratapani Tiger Reserve (in-principle approval, often listed)
8. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (notified in 2022)
9. Madhav Tiger Reserve (the newest addition)

5. Significance for UPSC Aspirants

1. Environment & Ecology Syllabus:

   • Tiger Conservation: Understand the objectives of Project Tiger, NTCA guidelines, and challenges like poaching, habitat fragmentation, and human-wildlife conflict.
   • Biodiversity: Madhya Pradesh’s role in conserving flagship species (tiger) and other fauna/flora.

2. Government Policies & Initiatives:

   • Role of Central & State Governments: How funding, legal frameworks (Wildlife Protection Act, 1972), and conservation programs operate.
   • Community Involvement: Strategies like eco-development committees, joint forest management, and livelihood support for local communities.

3. Geography & Location-Based Questions:

   • Be familiar with the location of major national parks and tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh (and across India).
   • Understand the terrain (e.g., Vindhyan ranges, Satpura ranges), climate, and vegetation types of central India.

In Summary

The declaration of Madhav National Park as Madhya Pradesh’s 9th Tiger Reserve underscores India’s ongoing efforts to protect its national animal and preserve biodiversity.