The lost tigers
For centuries tigers roamed the deciduous forests of Nauradehi, nestled among the craggy hilltops of the Vindhya ranges in southern Madhya Pradesh. It is unclear whether these wild tigers were lost to poaching. In the sixties, according to one account, you could shoot a tiger legally for 45 rupees.
Nauradehi was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975, and in September 2023 it became the Veerangana Durgavati tiger reserve, named for Rani Durgavati, the queen of Gondi people. Today Nauradehi is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in India, part of 5500 km of forested landscape. Located just 95 km from Jabalpur, it’s the largest contiguous protected area in Madhya Pradesh spread over 1,197 sq. km and home to more than 250 species of animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
A shikar haunt
At the turn of the century, nearly forty thousand tigers wandered the forests of Nauradehi. Even in the 1960s, the interconnected forests teemed with wild animals including big cats. In colonial times, Nauradehi and its surroundings became favorite shikar haunts, and by Independence, much of its wildlife fell prey to poachers, legal hunters, wood loggers, and urbanization.
Under the stewardship of the Forest Department today, the Nauradehi wildlife corridor is coming back to life. Today sightings of carnivores include tigers, panthers, wild dogs, hyenas, and jackals. Riding along its dusty summer roads, you may spot a dhole or a leopard on the prowl by the waterholes or the Cheola Lake. Nauradehi is now a promising landscape in which to reintroduce the dashing cheetah.
Animal magic
In 2009 tigers were reintroduced into the reserve from the interconnecting corridors to the greater Panna landscape, and the once dwindling population is thriving, though sightings are rare. The reserve is now home to about 15 tigers. Some suggest that since local cattle have seldom seen a tiger, they are not afraid of them.
Veerangana Durgavati tiger reserve happens to be one of the few remaining strongholds for the White-Rumped and the Indian Vultures, critically endangered raptors of India. In winter one may see mugger crocodiles basking on river banks or even a family of smooth-coated otters.
Veerangana Durgavati tiger reserve is to be celebrated as one of the largest surviving savannah ecosystems in central India—a unique habitat that’s the perfect landscape for both cheetahs, tigers, and chinkara. Herds of blackbuck and chital nip at nutritious grasses by the Cheola Lake edge in the company of wetland birds like painted storks, teals, and grebes.
Cry wolf
Perhaps the most intriguing tale is of the Indian wolf which is called the keystone species of Naurdehi. Once wolves sat at the top of the carnivore hierarchy at Nuaredhi, coexisting with tigers and other wildlife in the nature reserve. But with the introduction of the tiger in 2018, and the encroaching presence of humans, the delicate balance of the wildlife ecosystem has shifted, prompting conservationists to find ecological interventions to ensure that habitats are better preserved for endangered species – officials say only 800 wolves are left in Madhya Pradesh. As you enter the sanctuary, the portrait of a smiling wolf—the rightful mascot of Veerangana Durgavati tiger reserve —greets you at Hinauti village.
An illusory landscape
What makes Nauradehi truly remarkable is its semi-arid landscape, charred by a ferocious sun, and dominated by deciduous trees that remain leafless for a large part of the dry season.
But locals say that the perspective changes with each season or time of day one visits. It’s true. In the summer, lean trees lunge from thinly-crusted layers of soil among the ochre boulders of the Vindhya. The landscape appears desolate and bleak, its rocks burning under a bleached summer sky.
That’s just an illusion though.
An early morning ride in the summer heat to the plateau’s edge offers a different vista, that takes a while to absorb. Against a deep blue sky, the beauty of the harsh landscape slowly reveals itself, set against a low chorus of peacocks, jungle fowls, howling jackals, and a low wolf yelp. An occasional chital honk or langur bark will indicate that danger lurks in the seeming nothingness.
Wherever rocks erode or cave in, clear rivers crisscross the landscape to create green oases in the brown dryness. Two major river systems, Bamner and Bearma, and numerous rivulets nourish its arid deciduous ecosystem.
A single shower changes everything
When the monsoon arrives, everything changes. Rain wets the dusty ground, swelling tricking streams and trees blossom into a lush green canopy. Grasses carpet the forest floor underneath the large, papery leaves of sagwan. The air hums with birdsong and the buzz of insects.
A single shower can change the visage of this mysterious wilderness.
As the season passes, the flora transforms from rich green to wizened gold. By winter, the wetlands are a ruckus of wintering waterfowl and home to sarus cranes, the tallest flying birds in the world which spend a few months resting and feeding in this safe haven.
If you plan to visit, pack some patience along with your binoculars. Nauradehi hides its secrets. Your patient will be rewarded as nature takes its time to give you a glimpse of its wildlife, and the peace and tranquility you seek.
Nauradehi is well-connected to major destinations in Madhya Pradesh.