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Madhya Pradesh accepts Andhra’s request for two tigers, bisons: Mohan Yadav
The direction was issued at a meeting convened by the chief minister to review the working of the forest department.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav has directed officials to provide tigers and Indian bison to Andhra Pradesh following a request from the state, according to a statement issued by the chief minister’s office on Thursday.
“Steps should be taken to give them tigers and gaur (Indian bison). In return, efforts should be made to take wild dogs and other wild animals from Andhra Pradesh,” the statement said, quoting the chief minister.
Madhya Pradesh had 785 tigers according to the 2022 All India Tiger Estimation, the highest for any state in India.
The direction was issued at a meeting convened by the chief minister to review the working of the forest department.
A senior forest department official said that since Andhra Pradesh did not have suitable species to offer from the wild, MP decided to receive wild dogs from its zoo, as MP’s zoos did not have them.
Additionally, Rajasthan has agreed to provide Great Indian Bustards (GIB) to Madhya Pradesh after one year.
Principal secretary (Forests) Sandeep Yadav told the chief minister at the meeting that the GIB received from Rajasthan would be released in the forests of Ghatigaon and Gandhisagar, the statement said.
In April this year, the government reintroduced wild water buffaloes into the Kanha Tiger Reserve. Four buffaloes, one male and three females, were translocated from Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in April. Assam has the largest population of water buffaloes in the country, with approximately 4,000–4,500 head inhabiting areas such as Kaziranga, Manas, and Orang.
In return, Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to send a pair of tigers to Assam after the monsoon as part of the agreement signed in January. In addition, officials said Assam has also requested crocodiles.
