Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary: India’s Third Cheetah Site

• 07 Nov 2025

Source: IE 

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (NWS) in Madhya Pradesh is being prepared as India’s third cheetah site.  

• Unlike Kuno and Gandhi Sagar, where cheetahs were introduced into predator-free landscapes, Nauradehi already has about 25 tigers along with wolves, wild dogs, panthers, and crocodiles, making it the first site where cheetahs must share space with apex predators. 

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary 

• Location: It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, declared in 1975. The entire Sanctuary is situated on the upper Vindhyan plateau within the Deccan Peninsula biogeographic region. 
• Connectivity: NWS acts as a corridor for Panna Tiger Reserve and Satpura Tiger Reserve while indirectly connecting Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve via Rani Durgawati Wildlife Sanctuary. 
• Habitat & Forests: The area is dominated by Tropical Dry Deciduous forests of the central Indian monsoon zone. 
• Flora: Teak is the main species, along with Saja, Dhaora, Bhirra, Mahua, Tendu, Ber, Bel, Gunja, and Amla.  
• Fauna: It hosts tiger, leopard, wild dog, sloth bear, and Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes), alongside nilgai, chinkara, spotted deer, sambar, and blackbuck.  
  • The Indian wolf is recognised as the sanctuary’s keystone species, reflecting its strong canid presence. 
  • Birdlife exceeds 170 species, and crocodiles occur in the Bamner river. 
• Rivers & Drainage: Three fourth of Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary falls in the Yamuna (Ganges) basin and one fourth of the sanctuary falls in the Narmada basin. 
  • The Kopra River, Bamner River, Bearma River, which are tributaries of the Ken River, are the major rivers of this protected area 
• Geology & Soils: Vindhyan sandstone dominates NWS, alongside Lameta and Deccan Trap formations.  
  • Soils range from red and black to alluvial, shaping varied dry forest and grassland vegetation.

Read more: Project Cheetah and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary