A Century Later: Wild Water Buffaloes Set to Roam MP Again

Bhopal: After seeing the cheetah project through, Madhya Pradesh is gearing up to reintroduce wild water buffalo, that had disappeared in MP a century ago, in the state forest.

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has recently conducted a survey in the state to select a suitable habitat for wild water buffalo, an endangered species, for the reintroduction.

“A detailed scientific study conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India 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”, a senior forest officer told this newspaper here on Saturday, unwilling to be quoted.

As many as 50 wild buffaloes are going to be translocated from Assam to Kanha Tiger Reserve in three groups over a period of three years for their reintroduction, the forest officer said.

The state government has already initiated the process to obtain necessary approvals from the Central Zoo Authority and the Government of India, he added.

The wild buffalo population in Madhya Pradesh had vanished more than a century ago, the forest officer said.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav held discussions with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma in this regard during his recent visit to the North-East state, he added.

“The restoration of wild buffalo population in Madhya Pradesh will add a new dimension to the state’s biodiversity following the successful reintroduction of cheetahs in MP”, the chief minister has said.

The initiative is a significant step not only towards conserving a species but also towards strengthening the forest ecosystem across the state.

Madhya Pradesh has already earned recognition as the “Tiger State” and the “Leopard State”.

Following the success of the cheetah reintroduction, the restoration of wild buffalo will mark a new chapter in biodiversity conservation.

Eight cheetahs were translocated to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in September 2022 under cheetah introduction project. Six months later, 12 more cheetahs were shifted to Kuno from South Africa.

The state has a cheetah population of 32 now.

While Kuno has 29 cheetahs, three cheetahs from Kuno have been shifted to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in the state a few months ago.

A fresh batch of eight cheetahs are being translated to Kuno from Botswana by the third week of February this year under the cheetah project.