Bhopal, Oct. 11 -- Madhya Pradesh has taken a significant step towards restoring wild buffaloes to their historical habitat, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday shifting eight animals to a 17-hectare enclosure at the Supkhar range of Kanha Tiger Reserve after completion of their quarantine period.
The initiative aims to re-establish the species, which disappeared from the state's forests nearly a century ago. The eight buffaloes, brought from Assam's Kaziranga National Park, were initially kept in a specially designed one-hectare enclosure to help them acclimatise to local climatic and environmental conditions.
Describing the occasion as significant, Yadav said the second phase of the reintroduction programme had begun at Supkhar after nearly 100 years. He thanked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for facilitating the transfer of the animals from Kaziranga to Madhya Pradesh.
The animals will be gradually prepared for release into their natural habitat after the monsoon season, he said.
The eight wild buffaloes, comprising six females and two males, were brought to Kanha in two batches. The first batch of three females and one male arrived on April 28, 2026, while the second batch, also comprising three females and one male, reached the reserve on May 9.
After being kept in quarantine to facilitate their adaptation to the local environment, all eight animals were shifted to the larger enclosure on Sunday.
The Forest department has set a target of reintroducing 50 wild buffaloes in the Supkhar area over the next three years. The location was selected based on evidence of the species' historical presence in the region. Yadav said the state government was working to restore wildlife species that had disappeared from their former habitats and strengthen ecological balance.
The programme was attended by Principal Secretary, Forest department, Raghwendra Kumar Singh and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Samita Rajora.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.