The Madhya Pradesh government issued a notification declaring the Ratapani Sanctuary as the 9th Tiger Reserve of the state. Earlier, recently the Central Government had declared Shivpuri’s Madhav National Park as the 8th Tiger Reserve of the state. In two days, Madhya Pradesh has got the gift of two new Tiger Reserves. The number of Tiger Reserves in the state has increased from 7 to 9.
Ratapani Tiger Reserve: Key Points
Total Area
- Core area: 812 sq km.
- Buffer area: 653 sq km.
- Total area: 465 sq km.
- Geographical location: This Tiger Reserve is located in Raisen and Sehore districts.
Villages included in the buffer zone
- Revenue villages Jhiri Baheda, Javra Malkhar, Delawadi, Surai Dhaba, Panjhir, Kari Chowka, Dantkho, Sajauli and Jaitpur.
- 947 square kilometer area of these 9 villages has been added to the buffer zone.
Benefits of Ratapani Tiger Reserve
- Rights of villagers protected: There will be no change in the existing rights of the villagers due to the formation of Tiger Reserve.
- New employment opportunities: Local villagers will get employment through eco-tourism and tourism.
International recognition
- Ratapani will get international recognition.
- Bhopal will be identified as the ‘Tiger Capital’.
- Better wildlife management: On the formation of Tiger Reserve, budget will be received from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which will help in better management of wildlife.
Status of tigers in Madhya Pradesh
Number of tigers
- According to the census of the year 2022, there are a total of 785 tigers in Madhya Pradesh.
- The number of tigers in the year 2018 was 526.
- Status of Tiger State: Madhya Pradesh has the status of “Tiger State”.
Number of Tiger Reserves
- Earlier there were 7 tiger reserves: Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, Satpura, Sanjay Dubri and Nauradehi.
- After Ratapani and Madhav National Park were declared Tiger Reserves, this number has increased to 9.
- Impact of tiger conservation: With the increase in the number of tigers, the habitats of wildlife are also increasing rapidly.
Status of tigers in India (till 2024)
- By the year 2024, 55 tiger reserves have been established in India. This country is home to about 80% of the world’s tigers. There has been a significant increase in the number of tigers in India. The number of tigers has increased from 1,400 in 2006 to around 3,682 now.
Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 785. Other major states that have significant tiger populations are:
- Uttarakhand: 560 tigers
- Karnataka: 563 tigers
- Maharashtra: 444 tigers