https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Latest And The Largest Heaven For Tigers in Madhya Pradesh 

With an expansive area covering over 2339 square kilometres, the Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve is the largest tiger sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. It has 1414 square kilometres core area and 925 Kms buffer area. It is the 54th forest area in the country to be declared a Tiger Reserve in September last year.
Indian Masterminds Stories

It might be the newest tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh but Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve (VDTR) is the largest tiger sanctuary in the state. Its seventh tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh, known to be the Tiger State of India. Maharashtra with six tiger reserves stands second. 

Veerangana Durgavati forest was declared as a Tiger Reserve in September last year. The tiger sanctuary included not only areas of Nauradehi in Sagar district but also a big part of Rani Durgavati Sanctuary in Damoh, making it the largest Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. 

With an imposing area spanning across 2339 square kilometres, VDTR is the largest tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh – Kanha with 2052 Kms and Bandhavgarh with 1537 Sq Kms follow suit. 

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Mastermindsthe DFO of the reserve, IFS officer Abdul Ansari, shared details about what all went into make VDTR the heaven of conservation.

REMOVING VILLAGE ENCROACHMENTS

In order to avoid man animal conflict in the region, the DFO and his team ordered the removal of a huge village settlement settled on the outskirts of the reserve, where the tigers would stray away at times. The villagers are now being relocated to new government settlements of Rs. 15 lakhs per unit.

“This was beneficial for both the parties as the villagers now moved away from living outside the forests to better facilities, thereby, increasing the tiger movement area. Our herbivorous population and meadows also increased because of this,” Mr. Abdul told Indian Masterminds.

PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Once the tigers were introduced in the Nauradehi wildlife sanctuary from Panna, it was declared that two new tiger reserves shall soon be established in Madhya Pradesh, which ultimately gave birth to Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in September 2023.

“Our catchment feeds both Narmada and Ganga River making it an ecologically important place. We have a large population of wolves as well, so large that prior to tigers coming back to the region, our reserve was popular for its wolves,” Mr. Ansari said.

ECOTOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Ecotourism serves as a valuable tool for generating revenue while promoting conservation goals. VDTR has embraced sustainable ecotourism practices that allow visitors to experience the beauty of the wilderness while minimizing their environmental impact.

Revenue generated from ecotourism activities is reinvested into conservation initiatives, thereby creating a self-sustaining cycle of conservation and economic development.

VDTR stands as a testament to the tireless efforts dedicated to the conservation and protection of tigers. Through a combination of habitat conservation, anti-poaching measures, community engagement, scientific research, and sustainable development practices, the reserve serves as a model for tiger conservation worldwide.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Nitish Kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Vows to Create 1 Crore Jobs for Bihar Youth in Next 5 Years, Highlights Major Development Milestones
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Government Approves Rs 1,390 Crore for Four New Medical Colleges and Healthcare Projects
Pushkar Singh Dhami CM
Uttarakhand Government Launches Free Pre-Recruitment Training for Agniveer Aspirants Across All Districts
Airports Authority of India AAI
PESB Finds Candidates Unsatisfactory for AAI Member (Operations) Post, Calls for New Selection Process
justice-photo
Next CJI of India: Find Out Who’s Set to Become the New Chief Justice – Full Story Inside
IPS Ratan Lal Dangi
Who Is IPS Ratan Lal Dangi? Chhattisgarh Police Officer Accused of Harassment by SI’s Wife; IG Anand Chhabra Assigned Probe - Full Story
Yogi Adityanath Ayodhya visit in Diwali
UP: CM Yogi Adityanath Orders Fire Stations Every 100 Km on Expressways, Approves 1,020 New Posts in Fire Services
SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma
Who Is SDM Chhotu Lal Sharma? The 2015-Batch RAS Officer Caught in Yet Another Scandal After Slapping Petrol Pump Employee
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
IDES Saquib Alam
Beyond IAS and IPS: The Inspiring Work of an IDES officer | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Nitish Kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Vows to Create 1 Crore Jobs for Bihar Youth in Next 5 Years, Highlights Major Development Milestones
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Government Approves Rs 1,390 Crore for Four New Medical Colleges and Healthcare Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
IDES Saquib Alam
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT