Madhya Pradesh is called the heart of the country. It is said that whoever comes to the heart region once wants to come here again and again. Even if so, why not, Madhya Pradesh has everything that every heart desires. The king of the jungle tiger, which we call Bagh in Hindi, also loves the environment here. So, if the tiger population is the highest in the entire country, it is Madhya Pradesh.
Due to the favorable habitat and breeding efforts of tigers, their numbers have increased rapidly. Today when the whole world is celebrating Tiger Day, we proudly say that Madhya Pradesh is a tiger state.
On the occasion of International Tiger Day, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said that it is our good fortune that Madhya Pradesh is the state with the largest number of tigers. The population of tigers in the state has increased to 785. This is a matter of pride for the state. He congratulated and wished the people of the state on the occasion of International Tiger Day.
CM Yadav said that saving wild animals requires a lot of effort and hard work. Conservation of wild animals is not possible without community cooperation. The forest department and all those involved in wildlife conservation are to be congratulated for making Madhya Pradesh a tiger state once again. On the occasion of International Tiger Day, the Chief Minister has called for a pledge to work together to secure the future of tigers in the wild and maintain the natural balance.
He said that tiger conservation requires sensitive efforts which have been made possible with the cooperation of the forest department. While better management in our state’s national parks provides protection to wild animals, there have also been steady improvements in tiger management.
Sensitivity to wild animals
An example of sensitivity to wild animals has recently come to light in Sihore district. Three tiger cubs were hit by a train on the Madhyaghat railway track of Badni in Sihore district, where two critically injured cubs were treated in a special coach train by the district administration and a team of wildlife doctors on the instructions of CM Yadav. Bhopal was brought for this.
Tiger State title for a decade
75 percent of the world’s tigers are in India. More than 20 percent of India’s total tigers are in our state. Presently Madhya Pradesh has the status of a tiger state and not from now, but for the last decade. Madhya Pradesh became a Tiger State for the first time in the year 2006, while in the year 2023 Madhya Pradesh got the honor of becoming a Tiger State for the third time.
According to the census conducted in the year 2022, Madhya Pradesh is resounding with the roar of 785 tigers. Earlier, in the census conducted in the year 2018, Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of tigers at 526. In a period of 4 years, the number of tigers in the state has increased by 259. From this it can be inferred that the forests of the state are most suitable for tigers.
In the state’s Kanha Tiger Reserve, the world’s first successful attempt to release an orphaned tiger cub into a protected area after rearing it in its natural habitat was made. From where the tigers were released in Panna, Satpura, Sanjay, Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve of Veerang and Madhav National Park.
Madhya Pradesh is teeming with national parks and sanctuaries
As per the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Madhya Pradesh has notified 10 National Parks and 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries. There are a total of 7 tiger reserves in the state, of which Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts is the newest. Apart from these there are Kanha in Mandala-Balaghat, Bandhavgarh in Umaria, Panna in Panna district, Pench in Seoni, Satpura in Narmadapuram and Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Sidhi district. Besides, the Ratapani Sanctuary in Raisen is currently proposed for Project Tiger.
Dr. Mohan Yadav’s government set an example
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many efforts are being made across the country to protect and nurture wildlife. In Madhya Pradesh too, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yadav, special attention is being paid to the conservation of wildlife. Many projects are already running in the heartland especially for conservation and exhibition of tigers and the present government is also making continuous efforts with innovations for tiger conservation.
Special programs on the theme ‘Main Bhi Bagh’ were also organized by the Forest Department across the state. The Mohan government’s sensitivity towards tiger conservation can be gauged from the fact that when the information of an injured tiger cub in Sihore district reached the government, a special container was arranged to bring them through the efforts of CM Yadav. Providing them with better treatment. Due to such innovative efforts, Madhya Pradesh is today known as the Tiger State in the country and the world.
Tigers are out, tourism and employment are on the rise
Tiger reserves and forest sanctuaries also boost the tourism development of Madhya Pradesh. More than 25 lakh tourists visit the protected areas every year, generating an income of around Rs 55 crore to Rs 60 crore. 33 percent of which is spent on rural development by the Joint Forest Management Committee.
Project Tiger was started in 1994
Project Tiger was launched in India on 1 April 1973. Under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1972, Tiger Foundation Society was established in all the tiger projects of the state from the year 1997. The Project Tiger scheme for tiger conservation at the national level was implemented in 1973, while in Madhya Pradesh, Project Tiger was launched in 1994 from the Kanha Kisli National Park.
