Bhopal, March 10 Having a tag of 'tiger state', Madhya Pradesh achieved yet another feat by releasing two tigers (one male and one female) into the enclosure of Madhav National Park (MNP) on Friday.
The big cats were released by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Forest officials said at least three more tigers will be released into the enclosures of MNP in future in a bid to give fresh impetus and fillip to tourism in the region. Apart from enhancing tourism potential, this will also create a huge wildlife corridor between Kuno National Park, Madhav National Park, Panna Tiger Reserve (MP) and Ranthambore tiger reserve in Rajasthan.
The officials also claimed that the development will also generate employment opportunities for the local population.
"Plans are afoot to expand the tiger reserve area to 1,600 km square area. Tiger safari is one of the ambitious projects that the government is eyeing for, by enhancing the wildlife corridor and harnessing the tourism potential of the region," said an official.
While the male tiger released at MNP was captured in October last year after it strayed into the sprawling premises of the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) in Bhopal, the tigress was brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve located in Rewa district, the official added.
"A plan to release another tigress did not work out as it could not be captured at Panna Tiger Reserve," officials said adding that translocation of the two big cats took place to mark the birth anniversary of former Union Minister Madhavrao Scindia, the father of Jyotiraditya Scindia.
MNP was established in Shivpuri district, in the name of late Congress leader and ex-Union Minister Madho Rao Scindia.
This is the third time the MP Forest Department is going to re-introduce a tiger in a wildlife sanctuary, with successful projects of the kind having been undertaken in Panna Tiger Reserve and the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Sagar, officials said. "MNP has a good prey base for big cats and the revival programme was cleared by the Centre," they added.
Shivpuri borders Sheopur district, which houses the Kuno National Park, a new home for 20 cheetahs brought from Namibia and South Africa under the ambitious reintroduction project for the species.
pd/uk/
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