List Of Protected Areas Of Madhya Pradesh

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According to the Economic Survey of Madhya Pradesh 2020-2021, the state has a rich variety of protected areas. These include 11 National Parks, 24 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 7 Tiger Reserves, 2 Kharmour Sanctuaries, 2 Son Bird Sanctuaries, 3 Alligator Sanctuaries, 2 National Fossil Parks, and 3 Biosphere Reserves.

Madhya Pradesh started protecting its wildlife with the creation of the Kanha Sanctuary in 1933. After independence, the state enacted the Madhya Pradesh National Park Act in 1955. Later, it adopted the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1973, which strengthened conservation efforts.

This article is crucial for understanding the protected areas of Madhya Pradesh and is especially useful for exams like MPPSC and MPPEB. We’ll explore the National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Biosphere Reserves in detail.

◾Also Read: Updated Notes on Total National Parks in India

Table of Contents

List of Protected Areas of Madhya Pradesh

List of National Parks in Madhya Pradesh (MP)

According to the Economic Survey of Madhya Pradesh 2021-22, there are 11 National Parks in the state. The details of these National Parks are provided in the table below:

Sl. No.	National Park Name	Area (in sq Km)	District	Key Details
1	Kanha National Park (1955)	940	Mandala, Balaghat	🔹 It is the largest National Park in Madhya Pradesh. ◾Brief History: 🔹 In 1933, it was declared a wildlife sanctuary. 🔹 In 1955, it was upgraded to a National Park. 🔹 In 1974, it became the first tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh under the Project Tiger. ◾ Wildlife Species: 🔹 This park is home to various animals, including tigers, barasingha (stag deer), chinkara, gaur, hyena, langur, leopard, fox, and wolf. ◾Mascot: 🔹The mascot of this park is Bhura Singh, the Barasingha (stag deer). This species, also known as the jewel of Kanha, is unique to the park. The Barasingha is also the state animal of Madhya Pradesh. ◾ Key Attractions: 🔹 Hallon Valley 🔹 Banjar Valley ◾ Tribal Communities: 🔹 The park is also home to the Gond and Baiga tribes, who have a deep connection to the region’s rich biodiversity.
2	Bandhavgarh National Park(1968)	437	Umariya	🔹 Bandhavgarh National Park is surrounded by 32 hills. ◾Brief History: 🔹 In 1968, it was established as a National Park in Madhya Pradesh. 🔹 In 1993, it became part of the Project Tiger initiative. 🔹 Bandhavgarh has the highest density of tigers in India. ◾Famous Facts: 🔹 The famous White Tiger Mohan was captured in this area. ◾ Wildlife Species: 🔹 The park is home to various species, including tigers, leopards, spotted deer, sambar, and over 250 bird species.
3	Madhav National Park( 1958)	337	Shivpuri	🔹 Madhav National Park is located in the upper Vindhyan Hills. ◾ Brief History: 🔹 This National Park in Madhya Pradesh was once a hunting ground for Mughal Emperors and the Maharaja of Gwalior. 🔹 The George Castle Palace is situated within the park. 🔹 The Manihari River flows through the park, and National Highway 46 (Agra-Mumbai road) passes through it. ◾ Wildlife Species: 🔹 The park is home to various animals, including leopards, sambar, and spotted deer.
4	Pench (Priyadarshni) National Park(1975)	293	Seoni, Chhindwara	🔹 Pench National Park lies in the southern part of Madhya Pradesh and shares a boundary with Maharashtra. ◾ Brief History: 🔹 The park consists of Priyadarshini National Park and Mowgli Pench Sanctuary. 🔹 The Pench River flows through the park, dividing it into nearly two equal halves. 🔹 This National Park is part of the Sanctuary Conservation Project funded by the World Bank. 🔹 It is being developed as Mowgli Land, inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s novel The Jungle Book, which is based on this forest. ◾Wildlife Species: 🔹The park is home to various species, including tigers, leopards, spotted deer, and sambar.
5	Satpura National Park(1981)	525	Hoshangabad	🔹Satpura Tiger Reserve was declared in 2000 and is known for its rich biodiversity. ◾Brief History: 🔹 The reserve consists of Satpura National Park, Pachmarhi Sanctuary, and Bori Sanctuary. 🔹The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is also part of the park. 🔹The Tawa River flows through the reserve. 🔹The highest peak of Madhya Pradesh, Dhupgarh, is located here. ◾Wildlife Species: 🔹The park is home to a variety of animals, including tigers, leopards, sambar, chital, bears, antelope, and blackbucks.
6	Panna National Park(1981)	543	Panna, Chhatarpur	🔹Ken-Betwa Tiger Reserve was declared a tiger reserve in 1993 and was designated as a biosphere reserve on 25 August 2011. ◾Notable Features: 🔹It is home to the only Reptile Park in Madhya Pradesh. 🔹The park also has a Vulture Protection Center. ◾Wildlife Species: 🔹The reserve is known for its diverse wildlife, including tigers, leopards, chital, nilgai, and sambar. ◾Recent News: 🔹The reserve has recently been in the news due to the Ken-Betwa river linking project, which will lead to the destruction of 4300 hectares of forest land.
7	Sanjay Gandhi- Dhubri National Park( 1981)	467	Sidhi, Singrauli	🔹Achanakmar National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh, but a large part of it now lies in Chhattisgarh after the bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh. ◾Brief History: 🔹In 2008, the park was included in the Tiger Project. 🔹It falls under the water catchment area of the Gopad, Banaras, and Son rivers. 🔹The park is known for having the largest number of spotted deer. 🔹Mara Caves are located within the park. It falls under the dry deciduous forest eco-region. ◾Wildlife Species: 🔹The park is home to various species, including the Bengal tiger, leopard, spotted deer, sambar, nilgai, chinkara, civet, and over 309 species of birds.
8	Van Vihar National Park( 1979)	4.45	Bhopal	🔹Van Vihar National Park is an Ex-situ conservation center and is established as a modern Zoological Park. ◾Brief History: 🔹1979: Established as a national park. 1983: Declared a national park. 🔹1993: Recognized as a zoo by the Central Zoo Authority. ◾Unique Features: 🔹It is a combination of a National Park, a zoo, a rescue center for wild animals, and a conservation breeding center for selected species. 🔹It is the second smallest National Park in Madhya Pradesh. 🔹It is the only National Park in Madhya Pradesh located in an urban area. 🔹The State’s only Snake Park is located here. 🔹It is also a coordinating zoo and a conservation breeding center for the hard ground barasingha and two species of vultures.
9	Fossil National Park( 1983)	0.27	Dindori	🔹 Ghughua Fossil Park is the smallest national park in Madhya Pradesh. ◾Key Features: 🔹 It is one of the four Fossil National Parks in India. 🔹The park contains a large number of fossils. 🔹It has the oldest botanical fossils found in the Deccan Trap. 🔹Fossils recovered from Ghughwa have significant historical value.
10	Dinosaur Fossil National Park( 2010)	108	Dhar	🔹Dinosaur Fossil National Park is the second Fossil National Park in Madhya Pradesh. ◾Key Features: 🔹 It is located on the banks of the Bagh-Jobat River. 🔹 The park has a Research Centre and a museum. 🔹It houses approximately 125 dinosaur eggs found in nearby areas, along with teeth of meat-eating dinosaur fossils. 🔹The park also contains fossils of plants, large trees, barks, and lava rocks, dating back around 70 million years.
11	Palpur- Kuno National Park(2018)	748	Sheopur, Morena	🔹 Kuno National Park is a significant wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. ◾Key Features: 🔹 The Kuno River flows through the park. It includes the area of Karera Wildlife Sanctuary, parts of Son Chiraiya Bird Sanctuary, and Ghatigaon Wildlife Sanctuary. 🔹The park has been in the news for the reintroduction of African cheetahs. 8 cheetahs were brought from Namibia. 🔹It has also been chosen as a relocation site for Asian Gir lions. 🔹 The park is home to the Sahariya tribe, which is indigenous to the area.

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Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh

Wildlife sanctuaries are areas set up by the State Government to protect certain animals and their natural habitats. These places are important for animal conservation.

In Madhya Pradesh, there are 24 wildlife sanctuaries. The largest one is the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary located in Sagar, while the smallest is the Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary in Indore.

Below is a table with key details about the wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh.

Sl. No.	Name	Year	Area	Districts	Important Facts
1	Bori	1977	486	Hoshangabad	🔹 This sanctuary is home to animals like lions, leopards, and spotted deer. 🔹 The Tawa River flows through it, adding to its beauty. 🔹It is also part of the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve. 🔹You can even find ancient cave paintings in Pachmarhi here.
2	Bagdara	1978	478	Sidhi	🔹Black Buck, Leopard, Nilgai, Gaura hill rock painting found here
3	Phen	1973	110	Mandala	🔹The wildlife here includes lions, leopards, and spotted deer.
4	Gandhi Sagar	1971	225	Mandsaur	🔹 This sanctuary shares its boundary with Rajasthan. 🔹 The main animals found here are Nilgai, Black Buck, and Leopard. 🔹It is also home to the Nilgai Reserve. 🔹Important places in this area include the Gandhi Sagar Dam, Chaturbhuj Nala Rock Paintings, and the historic Hingalajgarh Fort.
5	Gatigaon	1981	511	Gwalior	🔹 This sanctuary is home to various wildlife, including the Son Bird, Black Buck, and the Indian Bustard. 🔹 It also features a Son Bird Conservation Center to protect and study these unique birds.
6	Karera	1981	202	Shivpuri	🔹The wildlife here includes the Son Bird and Black Buck. 🔹It also has a Son Bird Conservation Center dedicated to protecting this bird species.
7	Ken	1981	45	Chhattarpur	🔹 This sanctuary is home to crocodiles and alligators and features an Alligator Reserve. 🔹 The beautiful Raneh Falls is located within the sanctuary, and the Ken River flows through it.
8	Kheoni	1956	123	Dewas- Sehore	🔹 This sanctuary is home to animals like leopards, alligators, chamois, and spotted deer. 🔹It is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and is also known for the Shankar-Kho Waterfall located here.
9	Chambal	1938	435	Morena	🔹 This sanctuary is home to crocodiles, dolphins, and turtles. 🔹It is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA). 🔹The historic Ater Fort is located here. 🔹The Alligator Reserve in this area was established with the joint efforts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
10	Nauradehi	1984	1195	Sagar	🔹This sanctuary is home to animals like Nilgai, spotted deer, and Black Buck. 🔹It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. 🔹The Bamner River flows through it, and it features reserves for Otters, Crocodiles, and Nilgai. 🔹The beautiful Cheaola Lake is also located here.
11	Panchmarhi	1977	417	Hoshangabad	🔹 This sanctuary is part of the Panchmarhi Biosphere Reserve. 🔹The wildlife here includes tigers, leopards, spotted deer, black buck, nilgai, and sambhar. 🔹It is also home to famous tourist spots like Bee Fall, Handi-Kho, Dhupgarh, and Cave Point.
12	Panpatha	1983	245	Shahdol	🔹The wildlife in this sanctuary includes leopards, spotted deer, and nilgai.
13	Pench	1977	118	Seoni	🔹This sanctuary is home to animals like lions, leopards, spotted deer, black bucks, and gour. 🔹It is also mentioned in historical texts like the Ain-i-Akbari and in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.
14	Ratapani	1978	823	Raisen	🔹This sanctuary is part of the Project Tiger initiative. 🔹 It is home to animals like lions, leopards, spotted deer, black bucks, and gour. 🔹The Barna River flows through the sanctuary, and the Ratapani Dam is also located here. 🔹You can find Bhimbetka pre-historic cave paintings in this area, and the Ginnorgarh Fort is another important site within the sanctuary.
15	Sanjay	1974	365	Sidhi	🔹The wildlife in this sanctuary includes lions, leopards, chamois, spotted deer, nilgai, and chinkara.
16	Sindhori	1976	288	Raisen	🔹 This sanctuary is home to animals like lions, leopards, spotted deer, black bucks, chamois, crocodiles, and turtles. 🔹 It also features historic sites such as Chaukigarh Fort, Bandariya Temple, and Zamgarh Cave.
17	Son	1974	42	Sidhi-Shahdol	🔹This sanctuary is home to crocodiles, alligators, and turtles. It is located along the Son River.
18	Sardarpur	1983	348	Dhar	🔹The Khaimour Bird Conservation Sanctuary was established based on the recommendation of Salim Ali. 🔹 It focuses on the conservation of the Paradise Flycatcher, also known as Shah Bulbul, the state bird of Madhya Pradesh. 🔹 The sanctuary is recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA).
19	Sailana	1983	12	Ratlam	🔹The Paradise Flycatcher, also known as Shah Bulbul, is the state bird of Madhya Pradesh.
20	Ralamandal	1989	2.34	Indore	🔹This is the smallest wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. 🔹 It is home to animals like lions, leopards, spotted deer, and black bucks. 🔹 The sanctuary also features the state’s first wild animal awareness center.
21	Orchha	1994	45	Niwari	🔹 This sanctuary is home to spotted deer and nilgai. 🔹The Betwa and Jamini rivers flow through it, adding to its natural beauty.
22	Narsighgarh	1974	60	Rajgarh	🔹This sanctuary is home to animals like leopards, spotted deer, black bucks, chamois, gour, and owls. 🔹It features the Narsinghgarh Fort, also known as the “Kashmir of Malwa.” 🔹Other famous spots include Chidikho Lake, Haji Wali Dargah, and Bada Mahadev. Additionally, prehistoric rock and wall paintings are found here.
23	Rani Durgawati	1997	24	Damoh	🔹The wildlife in this sanctuary includes leopards and spotted deer.
24	Gangau	1979	68	Panna	🔹This sanctuary is dedicated to the conservation of the wild water buffalo. 🔹 It also features the only reptile park in the state.

Other Important Wildlife Protection Areas in Madhya Pradesh

Name	Districts	About
Kamdhenu Gau Park	Agar-Malwa	It is the world’s first cow protection center, which opened in September 2017. Recently, the state government held a cabinet meeting here, and it was named the Gau Cabinet.
Mukundpur White Tiger Safari	Satna- Rewa	Asia’s first white tiger safari was opened here on 3rd April 2016. It is called the Martand Singh Judev Safari. The facility functions as both a zoo and a rescue center and is an Ex-Situ conservation site, meaning animals are protected outside their natural habitats.

Biosphere Reserves in Madhya Pradesh

The Biosphere Reserve Program was launched by UNESCO in 1973-74 under the name Man and Biosphere Program.

Madhya Pradesh has three Biosphere Reserves, all of which have been included in the UNESCO World Network. Below is information about the Biosphere Reserves of Madhya Pradesh.

Biosphere Reserve	Year	Area	About
Panchmarhi	3 March 1999	Hoshangabad, Betul, Chhindawara	It is Madhya Pradesh’s first biosphere reserve and the 11th biosphere reserve in the country. The reserve includes the Satpura National Park, Panchmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary, and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary.
Amarkantak- Achanakmar	30 March 2005	Dindiri, Anuppur (MP), Bilaspur (CG)	It shares its area with Chhattisgarh. It is the second biosphere reserve of Madhya Pradesh and the 14th biosphere reserve in India.
Panna	25 August 2011	Panna, Chhatarpur	It is the third biosphere reserve of Madhya Pradesh and the 18th biosphere reserve of India. The Ken River flows through this reserve. Recently, it made headlines due to its inclusion in the UNESCO World Network.

Statutory Bodies Related to the Wildlife

State Board of Wildlife

The State Board of Wildlife is a statutory body under Section 6 of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2002.
It amended the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
The board acts as an advisory body.
The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh serves as the Chairman, and the Forest Minister is the Vice-chairman of this body.
The board meets twice every year.

Madhya Pradesh Biodiversity Board

The Madhya Pradesh Biodiversity Board is a statutory body established under the Biodiversity Act of 2002.
It serves as an advisory body.
The board was established on April 11, 2005.
It is chaired by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Final Words

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