The Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is around 1,197 square kilometres, is the largest in Madhya Pradesh and a crucial corridor connecting the Panna and Satpura tiger reserves.
- Tiger reintroduction efforts in the Nauradehi Sanctuary began in 2018, and the tiger population now stands at 16, part of the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.
- It is among the sites chosen for the reintroduction of cheetahs in India.
- The Madhya Pradesh government has initiated an inquiry into the alleged poaching of tigers and irregularities in the newly established Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, as per official documents.
- The reserve, the seventh in the state and the 54th in India includes areas within the Nauradehi and Veerangana Durgavati Sanctuaries.
- Located around 20 kilometres from Bhopal, it covers 2,339 square kilometres across Narsinghpur, Sagar, and Damoh districts.
- The investigation was launched by the forest department following an email from a wildlife activist alleging serious negligence in tiger conservation, tiger safari, and forest property management in the reserve.
- The deputy director of the tiger reserve has been directed to initiate the investigation and submit a report within seven days.
- The complaint claims that two tigers, N-113 and N-112, along with their cubs, have been missing since 2021 and alleges that the management falsely declared Tigress N-111 as Tigress N-112.
- There is a possibility of tiger poaching, and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been sought.
- Concerns have also been raised about the lack of prey and veterinary care adversely impacting the tigers in the reserve.
Dig Deeper: Go through the list of all Tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh.
