Barasingha Population in Madhya Pradesh's Satpura Tiger Reserve Crosses 300

Madhya Pradesh, October 2026: The population of hard-ground Barasingha (swamp deer) in Satpura Tiger Reserve has crossed 300, reaching about 303 animals as of 10 October 2026. The deer were reintroduced from Kanha National Park.

The hard-ground subspecies is adapted to grasslands on firm ground, unlike other Barasingha populations that live in marshy areas in north and northeast India.

By the 1970s, the hard-ground Barasingha had declined to only about 66 animals in Kanha because of hunting and habitat loss. Intensive protection, grassland management and predator-proof enclosures in Kanha helped the population recover to several hundred.

However, having almost all animals in a single location is risky: a disease outbreak or disaster could wipe them out. Conservationists therefore translocated groups to other protected areas, including Satpura and Van Vihar, to create backup populations.

The success comes days after the WWF Living Planet Report 2026 found monitored wildlife populations have fallen 73% on average since 1970, while highlighting that targeted conservation can reverse declines. The Barasingha is one such example.