Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve becomes new cheetah habitat
Source:drishtiias ↗
Why It Matters
Important for MPPSC aspirants tracking major developments in Madhya Pradesh's protected networks, wildlife sanctuaries, and tiger reserves, particularly regarding the cheetah reintroduction project.
Summary
Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is being prepared as a second home and alternative habitat for cheetahs under Project Cheetah, supplementing Kuno National Park.
Key Points
- Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh has been developed as a new potential habitat for cheetahs, expanding beyond Kuno National Park.
- The reserve spans across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts of Madhya Pradesh.
- This move aims to create alternative habitats for the re-introduced cheetahs under Project Cheetah in India.
Important Terms
Project Cheetah
India's ambitious intercontinental wildlife translocation initiative launched in 2022 to reintroduce the cheetah, which became extinct in the country in 1952, aiming to restore open forest and grassland ecosystems.
UPSC context
Important for MPPSC Paper III (Environment, Biodiversity and Disaster Management); tests knowledge of national wildlife reintroduction programs.
Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve
Madhya Pradesh's newest designated cheetah habitat, sprawling across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts, serving as an alternative home for relocated cheetahs alongside Kuno National Park.
UPSC context
Crucial for MPPSC Paper I & III (Madhya Pradesh Geography and Protected Areas); tests knowledge of tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in MP.
Kuno National Park
A premier national park in Madhya Pradesh chosen as the primary initial release site for the historic reintroduction of African cheetahs under Project Cheetah.
UPSC context
Important for MPPSC Paper I & III (MP National Parks and Wildlife Conservation); frequently asked in questions regarding biodiversity initiatives.
Prelims Trap
Kuno National Park is the sole designated habitat for reintroduced cheetahs in India under Project Cheetah.
Aspirants often assume Kuno National Park is the only cheetah habitat in India, missing that Veerangana Durgavati was developed as a second home.
Static Concepts Connected
What are the geographical features and formation of Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve?
- Formation: Madhya Pradesh's seventh tiger reserve formed by merging Nauradehi and Veerangana Durgavati sanctuaries.
- Location: Spans across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts on the Upper Vindhyan plateau.
- River Basins: Lies across the drainage basins of the Ken and Narmada rivers.
- Historical Name: Named after the 16th-century Gond queen Rani Durgavati of Garha-Katanga.
Cross-Topic Patterns
Cheetah Habitat + Ken-Narmada River Basin Geography
Project Cheetah's expansion to VDTR combines wildlife reintroduction with river basin geography (Ken-Narmada), frequently tested alongside MP's interlinking of rivers projects.
Tiger Reserves + Gond Kingdom Heritage Links
The inclusion of Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur links protected area network evolution with historical Gondwana history (Rani Durgavati).
MPPSC frequently tests exact district spans and river basin locations of MP's tiger reserves; expect a matching-list question on VDTR.
Linked PYQs · 2
Linked PYQs · 2
- 2025MPPSC_PRELIMSGS1
The Madhya Pradesh Government has undertaken several initiatives to commemorate the 500th birth anniversary of Rani Durgavati. Which of the following is/are correct? 1. Rani Durgavati Anna Protsahan Yojana 2. Formation of Rani Durgavati Memorial and Garden in Jabalpur 3. Establishment of Madhya Pradesh Tribal Women Welfare Board 4. Declaration of a public holiday on Rani Durgavati's birth anniversary
- 2021MPPSC_PRELIMSGS1
Corbett Tiger Reserve is located in which Indian State?
