Wild Buffalo in Kanha Tiger Reserve

• 05 Dec 2022

Why In News?

• On December 4, 2022, Madhya Pradesh's PCCF Wildlife, JS Chauhan said that preparations are on to settle wild buffaloes in Kanha National Park. The forest department will write a letter to the Assam government demanding wild buffaloes.

Key Points

• It is worth mentioning that wild buffaloes were found in Kanha National Park 40 years ago. Gradually they became extinct. Now the state government is once again trying to populate the forest of the state with wild buffaloes.
• The number of Asian wild buffaloes is currently less than four thousand. Wild buffaloes, which were found in large numbers throughout Southeast Asia until a century ago, are today found only in India, Nepal, Burma and Thailand.
• They are found in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India. In central India, they are found in the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve in Gariaband district in Chhattisgarh and the Indravati National Park in Kutru, Bijapur district.
• A species of wild buffalo, with a white mark on its head, was earlier also found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, but is now extinct.
• The female wild buffalo gives birth to five children in its lifetime. Their life span is nine years. Generally, female wild buffaloes and their offspring remain in flocks and live separately from the male herd. But if a female of the herd is ready to conceive, then the most powerful male does not allow any other male to come to her. This male usually lives around the herd.
• Male children leave the herd at the age of two. Wild buffalo is often born at the end of the rainy season. If a child's mother dies, other females adopt it.
• The biggest threat to wild buffaloes is from infected diseases of domesticated cattle, the major disease being foot and mouth. A disease called Redampest had at one time greatly reduced their number.