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Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh has taken a major step towards restoring its wild buffalo population, which disappeared from the state’s forests nearly a century ago. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday released eight wild buffaloes into a 17-hectare enclosure at Kanha Tiger Reserve as part of a long-term wildlife conservation project.
The group comprises six females and two males brought from Assam’s Kaziranga National Park. After completing their quarantine period, the animals were shifted from a smaller, one-hectare enclosure in the Supkhar range to the larger space.
The move is intended to help the buffaloes gradually adapt to their new surroundings before they are released into their natural habitat.
Yadav said the animals had travelled approximately 2,200 km from Kaziranga with support from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The eight buffaloes arrived at Kanha in two phases, on April 28 and May 9. They were initially kept in a smaller enclosure to help them adjust to the local climate and environment.
According to the Chief Minister, the next phase will focus on helping the animals settle into their natural habitat after the monsoon.
The state government aims to reintroduce 50 wild buffaloes over the next three years. The project is expected to strengthen biodiversity and support the restoration of wildlife species that once inhabited the region.
The Forest Department selected the Supkhar range for the initiative based on evidence of the species’ earlier presence in the area.
Wild buffaloes are an important part of grassland and wetland ecosystems. Their return could contribute to ecological restoration, although the success of the project will depend on habitat suitability, animal health, breeding and long-term protection.
Yadav said the government was working to restore other wildlife species and develop new habitats for conservation.
He also referred to an initiative announced on October 7 to develop a third habitat for cheetahs at Nauradehi, named after Rani Durgavati.
The state has been pursuing wildlife conservation projects aimed at restoring species and strengthening protected habitats. The wild buffalo initiative is another step in these efforts.
The Chief Minister also said that the elimination of Naxalism in Madhya Pradesh had opened up new opportunities for development in the region.
The success of the buffalo reintroduction project will depend on sustained monitoring, habitat management and protection against threats. For now, the release of the eight animals marks the beginning of an effort to bring a species back to Madhya Pradesh’s forests after nearly a century.
