Bhopal, July 29 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh will soon bring rhinoceroses to the state as part of its expanding wildlife conservation programme, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Wednesday, saying the state has moved beyond tiger conservation to protecting and reviving several endangered species.
Addressing the state-level International Tiger Day programme in Bhopal, Chief Minister Yadav said that Madhya Pradesh has undertaken conservation initiatives for tigers, cheetahs, gharials, elephants and wild buffaloes, and will now add rhinoceroses to the list.
“Madhya Pradesh has undertaken several significant initiatives for the conservation of tigers, cheetahs, gharials, elephants, wild buffaloes and other wildlife. The tiger population has been increasing steadily, helping the state retain its status as the Tiger State,” he added.
The Chief Minister said the state had successfully reintroduced wild buffaloes, which had disappeared nearly a century ago, while gharial conservation has been strengthened in the Chambal river and the reptiles have also been released into rivers in the Kuno region.
He also added that the Forest Department has substantially reduced human-elephant conflict through technology-driven interventions.
“Until two years ago, frequent reports of elephant-related conflicts had created fear among people. The Forest Department has successfully addressed the challenge through modern technology and innovative measures,” Chief Minister Yadav said.
Highlighting the state’s tiger conservation success, he added that the tiger population, which had fallen to double digits over five decades ago, rose to 785 in the 2022 census and is expected to cross the 1,000-mark in the next enumeration.
During the programme, Chief Minister Yadav inaugurated an exhibition on wildlife conservation, dedicated new vehicles for forest protection, released several publications on biodiversity and wildlife management, and unveiled the logos of Ratapani Tiger Reserve and Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.
He also participated in the “One Person, One Leaf” campaign aimed at promoting community participation in conservation.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Samita Rajoura said nearly 2.8 million tourists visit Madhya Pradesh’s wildlife destinations every year, including around one lakh foreign visitors.
Conservation activities are currently underway across all nine tiger reserves in the state with active participation of forest committees and local communities.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Shubharanjan Sen, said that Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the Tiger State, Cheetah State and Leopard State through sustained conservation efforts, with recent initiatives earning the state national and international recognition in wildlife protection.
–IANS
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