🐾 Nauradehi: A Rising Star in Central India's Wildscape

Nestled in the upper Vindhyan range of Madhya Pradesh, Nauradehi is one of India's most significant dry deciduous forests. Spanning over 1,197 sq. km, it was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975, making it the largest in the state. Fed by the Bamner and Bearma river systems, this arid yet vibrant ecosystem forms a part of the Ganga-Narmada River basin, and today, it’s emerging as a beacon of hope for some of India’s most iconic and endangered wildlife.

This is a representative image of a tiger from Central Indian Landscape

🐺 From Wolves to Big Cats: Rich Biodiversity

Historically, Asiatic lions roamed these forests until the 19th century. More recently, Indian wolves held apex status here, a legacy reflected in the sanctuary’s wolf-monogram. Today, the wolves share their space with leopards, dholes, and an expanding tiger population. Long-term ecological studies by the State Forest Research Institute (SFRI) are underway to monitor the wolves’ adaptation and survival.

PThe prey populations are under recovery with Blue Bull (Nilgai) being the most numerous (2021 Census: 4788) followed by Spotted Deer (2021 Census: 1796) and surprisingly a healthy population of Indian Gazelle or Chinkara in the arid grasslands (2021 Census: 1556). The mighty Sambar Deer inhabit the wooded tracts (2021 Census: 479). For tigers to thrive, boosting sambar and chital numbers to levels seen in reserves like Kanha and Pench will be crucial.

The sanctuary is also home to over 170 bird species, including critically endangered vultures—white-rumped, long-billed, and Egyptian. With more than 300 vultures and 200 mugger crocodiles recorded in 2021, the landscape pulses with natural life.

🐅 The Birth of a Tiger Reserve

In 2023, Nauradehi was merged with Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary to form the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR)—an ecological and cultural milestone. Named after the valiant 16th-century Gond queen, the reserve now spans a staggering 2,339 sq. km across the districts of Narsinghpur, Sagar, and Damoh. It has two core areas: 1,390 sq. km and 24 sq. km, offering vast, inviolate space for conservation.

This upgrade also fulfilled a critical condition of the Ken-Betwa river-linking project, which will submerge parts of Panna Tiger Reserve, making Nauradehi a key compensation landscape.

🌿 A Keystone Corridor in Central India

The Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR), which includes the Nauradehi landscape, is strategically positioned at the heart of the Central Indian Highlands—making it a critical ecological corridor in the region.

To the north, it borders the Panna Tiger Reserve, known for its successful tiger reintroduction after local extinction. To the south, it connects with the Satpura Tiger Reserve, a vast, contiguous forest system supporting a healthy predator-prey dynamic. To the east, the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is not far, home to one of India’s densest tiger populations.

Together, these reserves form a triangular network of protected areas, and VDTR sits at the crossroads, serving as the crucial central link. This corridor is not just a geographic bridge—it is a biological lifeline that allows tigers and other species to disperse naturally, maintain genetic diversity, and expand their territories in response to ecological pressures like territorial fights, prey availability, and climatic stress.

🐯 A Reintroduction Success Story

NThe MP Forest department started the tiger reintroduction program in 2018. Radha and Kishan (N-1 and N-2) were the first pair of tigers introduced from other reserves of MP. The tiger couple took to their new habitat as well as to each other as the first litter of cubs arrived in 2019 and more kept coming. The tigers colonized seven ranges and bred successfully, while Kishan was killed in a territorial fight with another male tiger, Radha continues to be Nauradehi’s matriarch, recently she became a grand mother as her daughter N-112 delivered a litter of 4 cubs in May 2025. The tiger population in Nauradehi within a short period of seven years has soared to 29 including cubs making it one of the most successful tiger reintroduction programs.

🐆 A New Home for Cheetahs?

Selected as one of ten potential sites under the National Action Plan for Cheetah Reintroduction, Nauradehi has now been confirmed as the third reintroduction site after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar. Experts believe its expansive grasslands might even offer better habitat than Kuno for African cheetahs. Its thriving chinkara population provides a ready prey base, setting the stage for iconic savannah chases.

🏞️ Challenges on the Ground

Despite its promise, Nauradehi faces real-world challenges. Ninety-three villages lie within the sanctuary, and while several of them have been relocated, biotic pressure remains high. Relocation efforts—though controversial—are crucial to creating an undisturbed core area.

Recently there have been some demonstrations against relocation and even a bomb attack on the forest department. In December 2024, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs directed the MP government to probe complaints from 52 villages regarding violations of the Forest Rights Act. While relocation is sensitive, MP Forest Department has previously succeeded in such efforts, as seen in Satpura Tiger Reserve.

Other measures like mass cattle vaccinations are underway to prevent disease transmission between livestock and wild herbivores.

🔮 What Lies Ahead?

The future looks bright for Nauradehi/Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve:

1. Tiger Expansion: As prey populations grow, security is heightened with tiger reserve tag and connectivity with Panna improves the tiger population is expected to increase steadily. 

2. Cheetah Reintroduction: With ideal habitat and prey, cheetahs may soon be seen sprinting across its grasslands chasing the Indian Gazelle—reviving scenes reminiscent of African plains.

3. Wolf Tourism Potential: The healthy population of Indian wolves could make it Nauradehi’s flagship species. The reserve could offer targeted night safaris for sighting wolves, which have become extremely rare to spot anywhere nowadays.

4. Eco-Tourism Growth: Jungle safaris have begun, and more zones are likely to open, creating employment and encouraging local stewardship of wildlife.

5. Dream of Coexistence: If Gujarat ever permits translocation, maybe one day the Asiatic Lions too will reclaim their historical homeland. Nauradehi could be the world’s only site where tiger, leopard, wolf, cheetah, and Asiatic lion might coexist—a biodiversity spectacle unlike any other.

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