About Madhav National Park:
- The Madhav National Park is situated in the Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh and, on the northern fringe of the Central Highlands of India forming a part of the Upper Vindhyan Hills intermixed with plateaus and valley sections.
- The Park was the hunting ground of Mughal emperors and Maharaja of Gwalior. It got the status of a National Park in 1958. The park was established as Madhya Bharat National Park in 1955 and received its present name in 1959.
- Originally, the park had an area of 64 square miles (165 square km), but a later extension to the east increased the protected area to 137 square miles (355 square km).
- Vegetation: The forests of the park fall within the category of Northern tropical dry deciduous mixed forests as well as Dry Thorn Forests typical of North – Western Madhya Pradesh.
- Fauna: It is home to antelopes like Nilgai, Chinkara and Chowsinga and Deer including Chital, Sambar and Barking Deer. Animals like the Leopard, Wolf, Jackal, Fox, Wild Dog, Wild Pig, Porcupine, Python etc are also sighted in the park.
- Aquatic Life: The Park is unique in having both lake, meadow and forest ecosystems. Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar are the two lakes in the southern part of the park, providing the aquatic biodiversity and lifeline for the terrestrial species.
- Recent developments: With the recent declaration it has become the 58th tiger reserve of India and the 9th tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh, with home to five tigers including two cubs born recently.
