Madhya Pradesh
Madhav National Park
- 11 Mar 2025
- 3 min read
Why in News?
On 9th March 2025, the Union Environment Minister declared Madhya Pradesh's Madhav National Park as the country's 58th tiger reserve . It is also the 9th national park in the state to get the recognition.
Key Points
- Madhav National Park:
- Located in Shivpuri district, this national park is part of the upper Vindhya Hills and has historically been a hunting ground for the Mughal emperors and the Maharajas of Gwalior .
- It was declared a national park in 1959 .
- The park has a rich ecosystem including lakes, dry deciduous and thorn forests , where tiger, leopard, nilgai, chinkara, four-horned antelope and various kinds of deer are found.
- It is one of the 32 major tiger corridors in India , managed through the Tiger Conservation Plan under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 .
- Importance:
- This decision will further strengthen tiger conservation efforts under Project Tiger and help India play a leading role in biodiversity conservation efforts.
- This will help in ensuring an increase in the number of tigers and protecting their natural habitat.
- In December last year, Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh was declared the country's 57th tiger reserve after receiving in-principle approval from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change .
Project Tiger
- Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation initiative in India that was launched in the year 1973.
- The primary objective of Project Tiger is to ensure the survival and maintenance of tiger populations in their natural habitats by creating dedicated tiger reserves .
- Increase in the number of tigers:
- The first tiger census in 1972 used the unreliable pug-mark method to count 1,827 tigers.
- As of 2022 , the tiger population is estimated at 3,167–3,925 , representing a growth rate of 6.1% per year .
- India is now home to three-quarters of the world's tigers .
