Madhav National Park

Once a famous hunting ground of the Mughal emperors & Maratha royals, Madhav National Park is now a glorious wildlife sanctuary, in the Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, Central India. Spread over an area of 354 sq. km, this verdant piece of the jungle offers amazing views of lush greenery and architectural wonders, edified by the erstwhile rulers of Gwalior.

This park has witnessed a lot of royal movements right from the time of Akbar, who is believed to have captured elephants from here in 1564. Madhav National Park fascinates tourists with its unique surroundings that comprise lakes, dense woodlands, & castles.

It gives a wonderful experience to the wildlife buffs and nature lovers, who are keen to explore the surroundings of this majestic woodland, inhabiting animals like tigers, Nilgai, Sambar, hyena, sloths bear, and crocodile. This park was named after Madho Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior from the Scindia Dynasty of the Marathas. It was declared a national park in 1958. A lot of tourists visit this captivating forest area to discover its flora and fauna and to see the sights of amazing monuments, that once belonged to the royals of Gwalior.

Madhav National Park is a combination of dry deciduous & dry thorn forests that make a home for different variety of antelopes like Nilgai, Chinkara, and Deer, and carnivores such as leopard, wolf, jackal, fox, wild pig, etc. Its unusual terrain of hills, dry, mixed forests, grasslands, and lakes, makes it a perfect destination for sighting a variety of wildlife, especially avian species.

The Sakhya and Madhav Sagar Lake, located in the center of the forest, support a rich variety of migratory birds including geese, pochard, pintail, teal, mallard, and gadwall. These lakes are a great nesting ground for birds and marsh crocodiles, which can be spotted here in abundance.