Translocation of Assam’s wild buffaloes, MP’s Gharials underway

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: In a landmark wildlife conservation initiative, four wild water buffaloes from Kaziranga Tiger Reserve in Assam are on their way to the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh has shown interest in returning the favour by moving Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) back to Assam, where they used to live.

On April 25, 2026, the first batch of four buffaloes, one male and three females, were loaded effortlessly into specialized transportation vehicles and flagged off by forest officials from both Kaziranga and Kanha for a 2,000-km journey. The transportation of the second lot of four water buffaloes from Kaziranga to Kanha Tiger Reserve will follow shortly.

The capture, quarantine and loading of wild buffaloes are carried out with the active participation of observers, including Mr Kaushik Barua, member, Assam State Board of Wildlife. The transportation convoy includes dedicated support vehicles carrying grass feed, drinking water, and logistics, staffed by a team of veterinary and forest professionals to ensure the welfare of the animals throughout their three to four-day road journey.

The conservation translocation of wild buffaloes from Kaziranga to Kanha is one of the longest journeys of over 2000 km by road. In April 2020, Assam translocated four wild buffaloes from Manas National Park to Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Chhattisgarh. The current translocation from Kaziranga aims to move 50 individuals for a viable population, making it the most ambitious.

The global population of the Asiatic Wild Water Buffalo, which is listed as a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, is globally listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and stands at fewer than 4,000 individuals, with roughly 99% residing in Assam, India alone. Only a few remain in the central Indian landscape, including a reintroduced population in Chhattisgarh. To secure the species’ future, this multi-phase project targets the translocation of 50 wild buffaloes as permitted under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 from Kaziranga to Kanha in the next 1 year.

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