📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Pankaj Oudhia
Local
Wild Buffaloes to Return to Kanha Reserve After 100 Years, 50 Planned by 2027
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bhopal
🗓 11 Oct 2026, 08:46 PM
👁 11
After a century-long absence, wild buffaloes are slated to be reintroduced in Kanha Tiger Reserve’s Supkhar zone, with a target of 50 individuals within three years.
The forest department of Madhya Pradesh has taken a decisive step to re‑establish the wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) in the Supkhar sector of Kanha Tiger Reserve, a species that vanished from the area roughly 100 years ago. Officials say the initiative forms part of a broader effort to restore the reserve’s historic biodiversity and improve ecosystem balance.
The plan calls for the translocation of fifty healthy individuals over the next three years. These buffaloes will be sourced from other protected areas where stable populations exist, and will undergo a period of acclimatization before being released into the wild.
Conservationists have welcomed the move, noting that the presence of large herbivores can enhance grassland health and provide additional prey for predators such as tigers and leopards. Monitoring teams will track the animals’ adaptation and health status to ensure the re‑introduction succeeds.
If the target is met, Kanha could once again host a thriving wild buffalo herd, echoing the reserve’s rich natural heritage that existed a century ago.
The plan calls for the translocation of fifty healthy individuals over the next three years. These buffaloes will be sourced from other protected areas where stable populations exist, and will undergo a period of acclimatization before being released into the wild.
Conservationists have welcomed the move, noting that the presence of large herbivores can enhance grassland health and provide additional prey for predators such as tigers and leopards. Monitoring teams will track the animals’ adaptation and health status to ensure the re‑introduction succeeds.
If the target is met, Kanha could once again host a thriving wild buffalo herd, echoing the reserve’s rich natural heritage that existed a century ago.