Assam gifts rhinos, cobras to MP, to receive tigers
BHOPAL: A vast stretch of dense forests in eastern Madhya Pradesh, which were once used by the armed Naxal cadres as the passage to further their expansion plans, will now be home to wild buffalos that reportedly became extinct in the state over 100 years ago.
Welcome to the jungles of Supkhar Forest Range of Kanha Tiger Reserve, spread in Balaghat and Mandla districts of eastern MP, which are set to become the home to the first batch of wild buffalos, likely to arrive from Assam by February-March.
The two BJP-ruled states, Assam and Madhya Pradesh, mutually agreed on Thursday, to go ahead with a wildlife exchange program, which includes wild buffaloes, rhinoceros, cobras, tigers and crocodiles.
During the meeting between the two CMs, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Dr Mohan Yadav, it was mutually agreed that 50 wild buffaloes will be brought from Assam to MP in three batches over a period of three years, while a pair of rhinoceros and three cobras too will be brought to the central Indian state from the north eastern state. Assam will get a tiger pair and six crocodiles from MP.
While the pair of rhinoceros and three cobras will be housed at Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park, the Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) in eastern MP’s Balaghat and Mandla district, will be the home to the wild buffaloes, as part of the Tiger State’s ambitious project of re-introducing the Asiatic buffalo.
As per the MP government, the wild buffalo population vanished from the state more than a century ago. Currently, their population in India is largely confined to Assam, besides being in limited numbers in Chhattisgarh.
A detailed scientific study conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) concluded that Kanha Tiger Reserve is the most suitable site for the reintroduction of wild buffalo. The study evaluated factors such as the quality of grasslands, availability of water sources, minimal human interference, and pressure from other herbivores.
The state government has initiated the process to obtain necessary approvals from the Central Zoo Authority and the Centre, following which the reintroduction will be carried out in a phased and secure manner, keeping long-term conservation goals and natural breeding in mind. According to KTR field director Ravindra Mani Tripathi, “Supkhar Range jungles have been found ideal for the wild buffalo reintroduction project.”
Unsung heroes of ecosystem
Madhya Pradesh will now turn home to wild buffalos, which reportedly became extinct in the state over 100 years ago
Wild buffaloes are vital ecosystem engineers and keystone species, which are crucial for maintaining grassland and wetland health
They rejuvenate vegetation through grazing, prevent woody encroachment, aid nutrient cycling and support biodiversity by creating suitable habitats for other wildlife
Their actions prevent grassland degradation and promote ecosystem biodiversity
They also constitute a significant part of the diet for apex predators, such as tigers, supporting the overall food chain