Nauradehi tiger reserve to be 3rd cheetah habitat in MP before next monsoon: CM Yadav

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav announced Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve will host cheetahs before next monsoon, joining Kuno and Gandhi Sagar reserves. The state is expanding wildlife conservation, including tiger protection, rhinoceros and snake translocation, alongside initiatives to boost farmers’ income

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said that Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve will become the new home for cheetahs in the state before the monsoon next year, following the successful translocation of the big cats from Africa to Kuno National Park.

The State cabinet has given in-principle approval to develop the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, located at Nauradehi in Sagar district, as the third habitat in the state for the world’s fastest animal.

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“We are building three large cheetah reserves. We have only released three cheetahs in the Gandhi Sagar Tiger Reserve. There could be 50. Nauradehi has just been approved (at the Khajuraho cabinet meeting). We’re preparing an enclosure there. This will become a new home for cheetahs before this (next year’s) monsoon,” Yadav said in an interview on completing two years in office on Saturday.

The first cheetah habitat was opened at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur in September 2022, and the second one at the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur in April this year.

Referring to the cheetah project, Yadav said, “The entire state is open to cheetahs. Just imagine their growing population within our state. India, and Madhya Pradesh within India, is the only place in the world where cheetah rehabilitation is successful. Many other states have tried, but none have succeeded.”

KNP is home to 28 cheetahs, and the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary has two big cats.

Eight cheetahs are expected to be brought to KNP from Botswana in January 2026, an official earlier said.

Asked about the recent increase in the number of tiger deaths in the state, CM Yadav said, “When there are too many tigers, such incidents naturally occur. But we are trying to minimise this.”

“Tigers are also migrating from our territory to other States, and we are also exchanging wild animals. Therefore, we are trying to ensure that our tigers do not face any difficulties. The tiger is a beautiful creature of the wild. We are trying to protect it and do better work,” he said.

CM Yadav said his government is also working to translocate many other wildlife species to the State.

“We are bringing rhinoceroses from Assam. King cobras are also found in the forests there. We have also brought them from Bengaluru. We are building a snake park. We will build rescue centres and zoos in our tiger reserves to promote tourism and save the lives of animals. We are doing many such works,” he said.

Asked about his and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s priority to double the farmers’ income and how he will achieve this target, Yadav said, “Our formula is essentially the prime minister’s.”

If the irrigation areas are increased and water is provided to dry fields, crop prices increase, he noted.

“When farmers grow two crops and then three crops from one previously, their income will naturally increase. We have also focused on milk production. We are also focusing on fruit production,” he said.

Yadav also said his government is focusing on a campaign called “Ek Bagiya Maa Ke Naam” (one garden in the name of mother), aimed at developing cluster-based fruit orchards, which will benefit farmers. “We are doing many such things in the interest of farmers,” he added.

The government is also encouraging small-scale cottage industries and providing free electricity to farmers through solar energy, the CM said.

“So, all these things will increase farmers’ income and reduce expenses, which will definitely improve their lives,” he added.

Asked about the NCRB data indicating that ST/SC communities face the maximum atrocities in Madhya Pradesh, Yadav said, “This is not true. Wherever it seems, we take action, and the action is ongoing. If you observe, you’ll notice we have welfare schemes for all sections of society in this state. We work equally for all sections, and its results are clearly visible.”