Representative image of a tiger.
Credit: DH Photo
Bhopal: While commemorating International Tiger Day on Monday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, said they are fortunate to earn the moniker of Tiger State, by giving home to 785 tigers.
Efforts are underway to increase the number of Tiger Reserves from seven, by relocating animals to other sancturies.
He also said, the relocation programme can be introduced to other animal deficit states. Yadav maintained that the government was committed to protection of not only tigers but other animals as well as the rich biodiversity under sustainable programmes.
Speaking to the press, Yadav also expressed satisfaction over the progress of the Cheetah translocation project in Kuno National Park in Sheopur district in MP.
Under the tripartite agreement with Namibia and Madhya Pradesh, a second home for Cheetah at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary Mandsaur is being developed.
Yadav said that Bhopal's outer periphery bordering municipal corporation is also blessed with rich flora and fauna. Residents often sight the majestic animal from within municipal corporation limits.
In Bhopal, people roam the streets during the day while tigers roam at night. There is no capital in the country where Tigers roam like this.
While addressing wildlife activists and forest officers, Yadav emphasised that there are seven tiger reserves in the state drawing over 25 lakh tourists in a year and generating a revenue of around 55 to 60 crore.
State Forest cabinet minister Ramnivas Rawat, minister Krishna Gaur, MOS forest Dilip Ahirwar, Addl CS Ashok Barnwal, HOFF (head of forest) Aseem Shrivastava, PCCF (wildlife) Subhoranjan Sen and others were present on this occasion.
Following the result of the Tiger census 2022, Madhya Pradesh has retained the status of the Tiger state of India with 785 tigers whereas Karnataka holds the second position with 563 Royal Bengal Tiger and Uttarakhand is 3rd with 560 tigers in the wild.
Earlier on the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger, PM Modi released a survey of Tiger population in India at a function in Mysore in 2023. As per the tiger census 2022 the population of Bengal Tigers in India is 3682, as compared to 2967 from the previous census in the year 2018. There is a whooping 24 per cent rise in population of Tigers as compared to the last census.