Wild Animals of Central India & Conservation Status

Major mammals found in jungles of Central India are listed below:

• Tiger
• Leopard
• Wild Dog
• Indian Wolf
• Jackal
• Fox
• Hyena
• Jungle Cat
• Wild Boar
• Sloth Bear
• Elephant
• Gaur
• Nilgai
• Black Buck
• Sambar Deer
• Swamp Deer
• Spotted Deer
• Barking Deer
• Four Horned Antelope
• Mouse Deer
• Chinkara
• Rhesus Macaque
• Hanuman Langur
• Wild Buffalo
• Palm Squirrel
• Pangolin
• Civet Cats
• Ruddy Mongoose
• Rusty Spotted Cat
• Tree Shrews

A large number of bats are also found in MP.

Major Carnivores are tigers and leopards classified as tertiary carnivores in the food chain. They are nocturnal hunters and their prey base constitutes herbivores and livestock.  Tigers keep to dense forests hence are found in reserves with good crown cover. Leopards are more adaptable and inhabit human surroundings beside the dense forests. The tiger is being conserved under the Project Tiger Program in India but very little protection is granted to the leopard.

The carnivores keep the herbivore population in check they are active in maintaining an equilibrium in the food chain.

The third big cat will be introduced at Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary from the Gir Forests of Gujarat. The Asiatic Lion unlike the tiger and panther is a gregarious animal that was once found in Madhya Pradesh in India.  

The herbivores constitute many species but the major ones are:

• Swamp Deer
• Sambar
• Chital
• Muntjac
• Four Horned Antelope
• Chinkara
• Nilgai
• Black Buck
• Wild Boar
• 
• Langur
• Black Buck
• Gaur
• Sloth Bear

The herbivores are grazers and help control the population of producers in the food chain. They play a major role in the ecosystem and constitute a prey base for many carnivores. They are classified as grazers and coarse feeders. The Chinkara, Nilgai, and Black Buck are antelopes and prefer scrub, grasslands, and arid zones.

The wild boar once abundant is an omnivorous animal but a major portion of the diet is vegetative matter. It feeds on carrion as well. Sloth Bear is an omnivorous animal but a major portion of its diet is a vegetative matter as well.

The Gaur or Bison is a coarse feeder and is found only in the protected areas of MP.   The Hard  Ground Swamp Deer is the only race of its kind in the World and is limited to Kanha Tiger Reserve. It was saved from certain extinction by groundbreaking research by George Schaller et.al. Today more than five hundred of these animals survive in Kanha Forests.

The jackal tops the list in being most active, highly vocal, and visible. It is a carrion eater but a pack kills small deer and fawns. The fox is very elusive and highly nocturnal very little is known about it. The wild dog is a pack hunter and most charismatic. It is a local migrants and rarely sticks to one place. Its main prey is the spotted deer.  

The Hyena is a scavenger and prefer open country to dense forests. The Indian wolf is an expert hunter in India they live in open scrub land and hunt in pairs or small group. They are severely endangered in MP and are regulatory persecuted. The jungle cats, civets and mongoose control populations of small life forms.

These carnivores maintain balance in populations of various herbivores as secondary consumers. They pay a crucial role and should not be neglected. Earlier most of these animals have been classified as vermin and shot to near extinction.  

MP State is home to many reptiles of which marsh crocodile, gharial, and monitor lizards are popular among nature lovers.   These major reptiles can be seen in Chambal and Ken River Sanctuaries.

There are hundreds of varieties of snakes and tortoises in rivers and dense forests. Some of the poisonous snakes are Cobra, Krait, and Viper the rest are nonpoisonous.

Many varieties of turtles and tortoises can be seen in and around the water bodies and river systems. Python is a common snake and can be seen in the tiger reserves with some luck.

The protected areas in Madhya Pradesh are notified as National Parks, Tiger Reserves, and Wildlife Sanctuaries. The first two provide protection to the maximum degree. Some translocation programs in the case of tiger and gaur have been very successful.   Tigers have been sent to Panna National  Park from other reserves where they are breeding successfully.  Similarly, Gaurs have been translocated from Kanha to Bandhavgarh and the program has been successful. 

In tiger reserves and sanctuaries, human encroachment is a major problem and many villages have yet to be trans-located.  

Wildlife Health and Disease Management are crucial for the survival of species and the Veterinary University in Jabalpur is doing a great job.

Another aspect of conservation is to increase natural habitats and bring them under protection. This is not being done on large scale, nevertheless, efforts are on.

Public participation is necessary in order to conserve wildlife in MP. greater efforts should be made in this regard.

Wild animals are seen and understood on tiger safari tours in the Indian reserves. These tours are the best means of creating awareness among the masses besides education.