In Pictures: Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary grows its borders to shelter Tigers & welcome tourists

Kheoni is a wildlife sanctuary that is connected to Ratapani Tiger Reserve via corridors. It is situated in Kannod Tehsil of Dewas district and portions of the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. Photo credit: Ground Report

The sanctuary is 134 square kilometres in size, and it already includes 4,000 hectares of Sehore's forest. Numerous animals, such as tigers, leopards, bears, jackals, hyenas, deer, nilgai, and the endangered four-horned antelope, can be found in Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary. It also has 55 butterfly species and 155 bird species, including the state bird Dudhraj. At least 50 butterfly species, including uncommon ones like the Common Silverline, Black Rajah, and Anomalous Nawab, were discovered in Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary in October 2023. Photo credit: Ground Report

In order to boost tourism, Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary plans to enlarge its borders. The Bhopal Forest Office will review and approve a proposal that has been developed to incorporate 1,500 hectares of additional forest area from the Sehore and Dewas districts. Between 800 and 1,200 hectares from Sehore's Ashta and Ichhawar forest areas are included in the proposed extension. As per the latest information, the plan is still pending authorization. Through the inclusion of nearby forest areas, the expansion seeks to enhance sanctuary management. Photo credit: Ground Report

The Dewas Forest Department has started a project to conserve meadows in at least six square kilometers of Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary to address the issue of the reducing count of herbivore animals. As of 2022, around 134 square kilometers of Kheoni forest has meadows on only six square kilometers. The project aims to conserve the grasslands to increase the quantity and quality of grass to ultimately help conserve wildlife by making favorable living conditions for herbivore and carnivore animals. In a bid to maintain nature’s food-chain, the sanctuary received 80 spotted deer from Naraingarh forest and Van Vihar Bhopal to help in increasing their numbers to balance the biodiversity. Photo credit: Ground Report

In April 2024, tiger Yuvraj and tigress Meera had three cubs in the wildlife sanctuary. The 2018 tiger census indicated that the sanctuary had become home to tigers, previously being just a pathway for tigers from Ratapani and Mail Ghat jungle. In a census conducted before October 2022, signs of a tiger family were found, estimating at least six tigers. Currently, the forest officials of Kheoni estimate that there are around 8 to 12 tigers present there, although they are waiting for official data to confirm this. Photo credit: Ground Report

The leopards rescued in the last few years have been released in Kheoni. One of these leopards was rescued in Sailana and the other was found in a sick condition in Sonkach, Dewas, which was released in Khoni after 112 days of treatment. Photo credit: Ground Report

Kheoni Wildlife Sanctuary is recognized as an eco-sensitive zone and features a dense teak forest. The Daulatpur Gate has been inaugurated to facilitate tourist access. Camps and cottages are available for tourists, with activities including birdwatching and jungle safaris. Online booking can be done from the website of the Eco-Tourism Development Board of Madhya Pradesh. Photo credit: Ground Report

Jamner and Balganga, tributaries of the Narmada River, originate from the sanctuary and serve as water sources for wildlife, though there is a shortage in summer. The forest department has created small ponds inside the forest and uses solar pumps to fill them with water. Photo credit: Ground Report

There is a lack of resources for forest conservation in Kheoni Sanctuary. Cameras have been installed to monitor wildlife, but there is no GPS tracking system. Illegal tree cutting poses a significant challenge due to the open forest and staff shortage. Photo credit: Ground Report