India gets its 58th Tiger Reserve in Madhav National Park

India has added to its tiger population with the 58th tiger reserve, now in Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Alone in the state, the Madhav Tiger Reserve has become the ninth tiger reserve, the highest number in any state.

The reserves are spread across 18 states in India and cover more than 82,836 sq km. They are created using a core/buffer method, aiming to promote tiger conservation through multiple efforts. Another such reserve is being established to provide habitats for tigers.

Located in the Shivpuri district of the Chambal region, the Madhavpur Reserve currently has five tigers, including two cubs born recently. According to reports, two more tigers could join and be released into the reserve by Mohan Yadav, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Currently, India is home to 3,682 tigers, or more than 70% of the world’s wild tiger population, according to the last population estimate released in 2022–23. While the journey of tiger conservation has evolved from bans on hunting and trade, it has also progressed to adopting multifaceted conservation strategies, including legal frameworks, international cooperation, and community engagement, to name a few.

The government hopes the new tiger reserve will help facilitate the movement of tigers in the Ranthambore-Kuno-Madhav National Park corridor, which is identified as a promising habitat for a growing tiger population.

An ode to ‘Project Tiger’

As far as history is concerned, it was during British rule that activities like hunting and poaching reached an unprecedented scale. Even after gaining independence, the Indian elites maintained the mindset of playing the hunt, and the game continued to flourish in various states.

In 1969, the Indira Gandhi-led Union government banned the export of tiger skins. The landmark 10th assembly of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Delhi classified tigers as an endangered species, and a resolution was passed to impose a moratorium on their killing. The government also formed a task force to address the issue.

The task force's recommendations paved the way for the launch of Project Tiger in April 1973, shortly after the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 was passed. Although the project was initially meant to last only six years, it continues to this day. Its aim was to maintain a viable population of tigers and preserve their habitat.