Madhav National Park: India’s 58th Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh
Madhav National Park in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, was notified as India's 58th Tiger Reserve in 2025. The park houses Sakhya Sagar — a Ramsar site — and once roamed by Mughal hunting parties.
Madhav National Park in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh became the 58th tiger reserve of India when the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) granted final notification on 10 March 2025. The decision restored the park’s place on India’s top-tier conservation map almost 75 years after the last wild tiger was shot here in 1952 by the erstwhile princely state’s hunting parties. Madhav National Park now joins Madhya Pradesh’s already formidable line-up — Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri, Veerangana Durgavati and Ratapani — and pushes the state’s tiger reserve count to nine, the highest of any Indian state.
Madhav National Park covers 375 sq km of dry deciduous forest, lakes and ravines on the northern edge of the Malwa Plateau, where the Vindhyas roll down toward the Chambal valley. The park contains two important wetlands — Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar — and Sakhya Sagar was designated a Ramsar Site (Wetland of International Importance) in 2022.
Location and Geography
Madhav National Park sits in Shivpuri district, about 113 km north of Gwalior and roughly halfway between Agra and Bhopal along the old Mughal-Maratha road. The terrain ranges from 360 to 487 metres above sea level. The park is bisected by National Highway 25 and the Agra-Bombay road, which has long been a wildlife corridor concern.
Physiography
The park lies on a transitional plateau between the Vindhyan sandstone uplands and the Yamuna-Chambal alluvial lowlands. Two perennial lakes — Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar — both built in the 1910s by the Scindia rulers of Gwalior, anchor the hydrology. Several seasonal streams drain northward into the Sindh and ultimately the Yamuna.
Climate and Vegetation
Madhav National Park experiences a tropical wet-and-dry climate. Summer temperatures reach 45 C while winters drop to 5 C. Average annual rainfall is around 850 mm, almost all from the southwest monsoon. The dominant forest types are dry deciduous mixed with patches of grassland, Anogeissus scrub and Boswellia-dominated dry rocky slopes.
History of Madhav National Park
The forests of Shivpuri served as the royal hunting reserve (shikargah) of the Scindia rulers of Gwalior from the 18th century. Even earlier, Mughal emperors including Akbar are recorded as having hunted here during their journeys between Delhi and the Deccan. The British later turned it into a cheetal and tiger-shooting ground.
From Shikargah to National Park
After Independence, the area was first protected as Madhav Sanctuary in 1956 and upgraded to Madhav National Park on 1 January 1959. It was named after Madho Rao Scindia, the late Maharaja of Gwalior. By then the last wild tiger had already been killed in 1952. The park survived through the lean decades on leopards, chinkara, sambar, nilgai, chital, sloth bear, four-horned antelope, jungle cat and crocodiles in the lakes.
The Path to Tiger Reserve Status
In 2023, Madhav National Park began receiving translocated tigers under a state-led reintroduction project mirroring Panna’s successful 2009 model. A young male and two females were soft-released; cubs were born in 2024. With a viable founding population, the Madhya Pradesh government notified Madhav National Park as a tiger reserve under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and NTCA gave final clearance in March 2025.
Sakhya Sagar — A Ramsar Wetland Inside the Park
Sakhya Sagar is a man-made lake created in 1918 by the Scindias by damming the Manjar river. It covers about 248 hectares and sits entirely within Madhav National Park. In August 2022, Sakhya Sagar was added to the Ramsar List as Wetland of International Importance.
Why Sakhya Sagar Matters
The lake supports the marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), Indian softshell turtle, otters, and over 75 species of waterbirds including the bar-headed goose, ferruginous duck, and northern pintail. Its inclusion on the Ramsar list raised India’s tally and helped the case for Madhav National Park’s tiger reserve notification, because the park already met biodiversity-of-international-importance thresholds. India now has more than 80 Ramsar sites — see our pillar on Ramsar sites in India.
Madhav Sagar Lake
The smaller Madhav Sagar, built in 1910 on the upper Manjar, is famous for the George Castle, a hunting lodge built by Maharaja Madho Rao for King George V’s planned 1911 hunt (which the king never attended). The castle now serves as an interpretation centre.
Fauna of Madhav National Park
Tigers
After the 2023-24 reintroduction, Madhav National Park currently has at least seven tigers including two breeding females and cubs. The carrying capacity has been estimated at 25-30 tigers based on prey density and core area size.
Other Mammals
- Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) — the apex predator before tiger reintroduction
- Chinkara (Indian gazelle)
- Nilgai (blue bull)
- Chital (spotted deer)
- Sambar
- Four-horned antelope (chausingha) — Madhav is a stronghold
- Sloth bear
- Indian wolf — small population on the periphery
- Striped hyena
- Jungle cat, jackal, fox
Reptiles and Avifauna
The two lakes host marsh crocodiles and a rich waterbird community. The dry forest is good for the painted spurfowl, Indian peafowl, paradise flycatcher and several species of vultures.
Project Tiger and the 58 Tiger Reserves
India’s Project Tiger was launched on 1 April 1973 with nine reserves; by 2025 the count had reached 58. According to the 2022 All-India Tiger Estimation (latest published cycle), India hosts about 3,682 wild tigers — more than 75 per cent of the global wild tiger population.
National Tiger Conservation Authority
The NTCA, established under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006, oversees tiger reserve declarations, the M-STrIPES patrol monitoring system, and the quadrennial tiger estimation. Final notification of any new tiger reserve requires NTCA approval after the state proposes core and buffer boundaries.
Madhya Pradesh — The Tiger State
Madhya Pradesh holds the title of “Tiger State of India” with 785 tigers in 2022 — the highest in any state. With Madhav joining as the 9th reserve, MP also has the most tiger reserves in the country.
Comparative Snapshot — Madhya Pradesh Tiger Reserves
| Reserve | Year | Area (sq km) |
|---|---|---|
| Kanha | 1973 | 940 (core) |
| Bandhavgarh | 1993 | 716 (core) |
| Panna | 1994 | 542 (core) |
| Pench | 1992 | 411 (core) |
| Satpura | 1999 | 528 (core) |
| Sanjay-Dubri | 2011 | 813 (total) |
| Veerangana Durgavati | 2023 | 1,414 (total) |
| Ratapani | 2025 | 824 (total) |
| Madhav | 2025 | 375 (total) |
For deeper context on the bigger park network see our notes on Kanha National Park and wildlife sanctuaries of India.
Conservation Challenges
- Highway dissection: NH-25 cuts the park; underpasses are being engineered
- Tourism pressure: Shivpuri lies on the Delhi-Khajuraho circuit
- Linear infrastructure: railway and gas pipelines around the buffer
- Genetic bottleneck: small founder tiger population — needs corridor links to Ranthambore (Rajasthan) and Kuno (cheetah landscape) for long-term gene flow
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Madhav National Park?
Madhav National Park is in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, about 113 km north of Gwalior, on the northern edge of the Malwa Plateau.
When did Madhav become a tiger reserve?
The National Tiger Conservation Authority granted final notification on 10 March 2025, making Madhav National Park India’s 58th tiger reserve.
What Ramsar site is inside Madhav National Park?
Sakhya Sagar lake, built in 1918, was designated a Ramsar site (Wetland of International Importance) in August 2022 and sits entirely within Madhav National Park.
Who built the George Castle?
George Castle was built by Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior in 1911 in anticipation of King George V’s hunting visit, which never took place.
Why was Madhav chosen for tiger reintroduction?
Madhav had abundant prey (chinkara, chital, sambar, nilgai, four-horned antelope), excellent habitat, two lakes for year-round water, and historic tiger occupancy until 1952 — making it a prime candidate for soft-release reintroduction.
How many tiger reserves does India have?
India has 58 tiger reserves as of 2025, with Madhav and Ratapani being the latest additions. Together they cover over 78,000 sq km, about 2.3 per cent of India’s geographical area.
Which state has the most tiger reserves?
Madhya Pradesh has nine tiger reserves — the most of any Indian state — following the 2025 notifications of Ratapani and Madhav National Park.
What is the difference between a national park and a tiger reserve?
A national park is a Wildlife (Protection) Act designation focused on biodiversity. A tiger reserve adds core-buffer zoning and is governed by NTCA under Section 38V — a park can be both, as Madhav National Park now is.