Bhopal, Oct 11 (PTI) Eight wild buffaloes brought from Assam’s Kaziranga National Park were released into a 17-hectare enclosure at Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger Reserve on Sunday by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as part of efforts to reintroduce the species in the state after nearly a century.
The six females and two males were shifted from a one-hectare enclosure in the Supkhar range after completing their quarantine period, Yadav said.
The buffaloes were brought to Kanha in two phases on April 28 and May 9. They were kept in the smaller enclosure to help them adapt to the local climate and environment.
Yadav said the eight buffaloes were transported around 2,200 km from Kaziranga with assistance from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The next phase of the project will focus on settling them in their natural habitat after the monsoon, he said.
Wild buffaloes disappeared from Madhya Pradesh’s forests around 100 years ago. The forest department selected Supkhar for the reintroduction project based on evidence of the species’ earlier presence in the area.
The state aims to reintroduce 50 wild buffaloes over the next three years. The project intends to strengthen biodiversity and wildlife conservation.
Yadav said the government is also working to restore other wildlife species. He referred to an initiative announced on October 7 to develop a third habitat for cheetahs at Nauradehi, named after Rani Durgavati.
He said eliminating Naxalism in Madhya Pradesh had opened up new development opportunities in the region. PTI LAL NSK
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