Guwahati, April 28 (IANS) Four wild water buffaloes (one male and three females) have been translocated from Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) to Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger Reserve in a landmark conservation effort to restore an endangered species to its historic range, officials said on Tuesday.
A senior KNPTR official said that a total of 15 wild water buffaloes, including females, will be translocated to the Kanha Tiger Reserve in different phases.
The Assam and Madhya Pradesh Forest Departments have officially commenced the translocation of the Asiatic wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee) from the KNPTR to the Kanha Tiger Reserve, the official said.
He added that the joint initiative aims to reintroduce the megaherbivores to their ancestral home in central India, where they have been locally extinct for over a century, while also leveraging their natural grazing behaviour to manage tall grass species and enhance biodiversity in the Kanha grasslands.
According to the official, on April 25, the first batch of four buffaloes (one male and three females) was loaded into specialised transport vehicles and flagged off by forest officials from both Kaziranga and Kanha.
Madhya Pradesh’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, Sameeta Rajoria, along with other senior officials, were present on the occasion.
The capture, quarantine and loading of the wild buffaloes were carried out with the active participation of observers, including Kaushik Barua, Member of the Assam State Board of Wildlife, as well as local media representatives and members of jeep safari associations.
The transportation convoy included dedicated support vehicles carrying grass feed, drinking water, and logistical supplies, staffed by a team of veterinary and forest professionals to ensure the welfare of the animals throughout their three- to four-day road journey, the official said.
He said that upon arrival at Kanha Tiger Reserve, the buffaloes will be placed in a large one-hectare holding enclosure, where they will undergo further health monitoring and continued acclimatisation to their new environment before a planned “soft release” into the wild.
A second batch of four buffaloes is scheduled for transport in April itself, marking continued progress in this vital rewilding project.
Seven more buffaloes will be translocated to Madhya Pradesh in subsequent phases.
The official noted that the conservation translocation of wild buffaloes from Kaziranga to Kanha is one of the longest such journeys, covering over 2,000 km by road.
Prior to this, four animals from Manas National Park were translocated to Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh in April 2020.
The official said that after being flagged off on April 25 from Kaziranga, the convoy reached Kanha Tiger Reserve on Tuesday (April 28), where the animals were released by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in the presence of senior officials.
Despite adverse conditions, including incessant rain, the field teams, especially forest frontline staff who supported the lifting and transportation of animals weighing over 600 kg, performed commendably, strengthening the rapid response and wild animal handling capabilities of the Kaziranga and Assam Forest Department.
As a gesture to further boost conservation translocations, Madhya Pradesh has expressed willingness to provide gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) for potential reintroduction in their historical range in Assam, the official said.
He added that following directives from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Mohan Yadav in January 2026, forest officials from both states conducted extensive reconnaissance surveys and planning sessions to finalise the selection of buffalo herds and capture sites.
Under the overall supervision of KNPTR Field Director Dr Sonali Ghosh, field teams led by Arun Vignesh, Divisional Forest Officer and Deputy Director, Kaziranga, along with a group of experienced veterinarians, utilised chemical capture techniques to safely secure the animals.
Between March 19 and April 10, seven sub-adult buffaloes were captured across the Central and Eastern ranges of Kaziranga.
One female wild buffalo housed at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) was also cleared for translocation.
According to the official, the global population of the Asiatic wild water buffalo — listed as a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and categorised as Endangered on the IUCN Red List — stands at fewer than 4,000 individuals, with roughly 99 per cent residing in Assam alone.
Only a small population remains in the central Indian landscape, including a reintroduced group in Chhattisgarh.
To secure the species’ future, this multi-phased project aims to translocate 50 wild buffaloes, as permitted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, from Kaziranga to Kanha over the next year.
A feasibility study by the Wildlife Institute of India identified Kanha National Park’s grasslands and meadows as ideal habitats, closely resembling those of Kaziranga.
As mega-herbivores and “grassland engineers”, these buffaloes are expected to boost biodiversity and help restore the ecological balance of the region.
Last sighted in Kanha in 1979, the species was considered locally extinct until now.
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, India’s seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site, is renowned for its ‘Big Five’ wildlife species — greater one-horned rhinoceroses, Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, buffaloes, and eastern swamp deer. Spread across the districts of Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Biswanath, KNPTR comprises three forest divisions — the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division (Bokakhat), the Biswanath Wildlife Division (Biswanath Chariali), and the Nagaon Wildlife Division (Nagaon).
–IANS
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