📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Bernard Gagnon
Science
Gaur herd in Bandhavgarh Reserve swells to about 170 after reintroduction
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 24 Sep 2026, 01:36 PM
👁 6
The gaur population in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve has risen from 50 in 2011‑12 to around 170, following re‑introductions from Kanha and Satpura.
The Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh has seen a steady increase in its gaur numbers after the species was declared locally extinct in 1998. In 2011‑12, wildlife officials translocated a group of 50 gaurs from the nearby Kanha National Park as part of a re‑introduction programme.
Since that initial release, the herd has grown to an estimated 170 individuals. To enhance genetic diversity, a few gaurs were also sourced from the Satpura range and introduced into the reserve.
Conservationists view the expanding herd as a positive sign of habitat recovery and effective management. Ongoing monitoring will focus on health, breeding success and human‑wildlife interactions to ensure the long‑term viability of the species in the region.
Since that initial release, the herd has grown to an estimated 170 individuals. To enhance genetic diversity, a few gaurs were also sourced from the Satpura range and introduced into the reserve.
Conservationists view the expanding herd as a positive sign of habitat recovery and effective management. Ongoing monitoring will focus on health, breeding success and human‑wildlife interactions to ensure the long‑term viability of the species in the region.