For the first time, the Bandhavgarh Reserve forest located in Madhya Pradesh (MP) has a colony of elephants. These gentle giants migrated from Chhattisgarh in November 2018 and have made the Reserve their new home. The abundance of food and water sources in Bandhavgarh serve as a significant reason for this migration and stay.
The Historical and Ecological Significance of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
Declared as a national park in 1968 and a tiger reserve in 1993 under the Project Tiger Network, Bandhavgarh is not just an ecological marvel but a place steeped in history. Ancient texts like the ‘Narad Pancharatra’ and the ‘Shiv Purana’ associate the Reserve with stories from Ramayana, indicating its historical relevance. One of its major landmarks, the Bandhavgarh Fort, is a significant representation of the “Treta Yuga” – one of mankind’s ages as per Hindu mythology.
Geographical Layout and Climate
Bandhavgarh is situated on the extreme north eastern border of Madhya Pradesh and the northern edges of the Satpura mountain ranges. It belongs to the tropical monsoon climatic zone and is crisscrossed by more than 20 streams such as Johilla, Janadh, Charanganga, Damnar, Banbei, Ambanala and Andhiyari Jhiria, which eventually merge into the Son river—an important southern tributary to the Ganga.
Rich Biodiversity of Bandhavgarh
The core zone of the Park supports a large population of tigers, making it an essential part of India’s conservation efforts. In addition to tigers, the Reserve is home to more than 22 species of mammals including Asiatic Jackal, Bengal Fox, Sloth Bear, Striped Hyena, Leopard, Wild Pigs, Nilgai, Chinkara and Gaur. It also hosts over 250 species of birds.
Facts About Indian Elephant Population
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Elephant as a species | Schedule-1 species as listed under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 |
| Indian Elephant population | India is home to 50% of the Asian Elephant population |
| Elephant census data 2017 | Total Indian elephants numbered at 27,312, marking a decrease of nearly 3,000 from 2012 census |
MP’s ‘Tiger State’ Meets Elephants: A New Ecological Challenge
Although MP, known as the ‘Tiger State’, houses the most number of tigers (as per the 2019 census), it has no experience dealing with elephants. Until recently, elephants were absent from the central region of India, including MP and Chhattisgarh. This absence could be due to habitat loss.
However, with rising urbanisation and deforestation in other elephant populated regions such as West Bengal and Jharkhand, these creatures are now being pushed westwards, towards MP. To mitigate this, the Union Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change formed a technical committee in October 2019. This committee has been tasked with developing a National Elephant Action Plan.
Despite the expansive forest cover, elephants’ reliance on crops often leads to human-elephant conflicts, marking a new challenge for this region’s ecology and conservation efforts.