Introduction

The Madhav National Park is situated on the northern fringe of the Central Highlands of India forming a part of the Upper Vindhyan Hills intermixed with plateaus, and valley sectiions. The slopes are generally gentle and rarely steep. Spreading over an area of almost 355 Sq kms, Madhav National Park is a fascinating mix of natural splendours of history and architectural wonders. Madhav National Park is situated in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh in Shivpuri District, very close to the Shivpuri township This was notified as a National Park in the year 1958.

The Park is unique in having both lake, meadow and forest ecosystems. Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar are the two lakes in the southern part of the park, providing the aquatic biodiversity and lifeline for the terrestrial species. These lakes not only add to the natural beauty of the area, but also provide a permanent source of water to the wildlife, and a fine wetland habitat to the aquatic fauna including thousands of migratory waterfowls. Marsh Crocodiles are in abundance in Sakhya Sagar lake. Due to this, the lake looks like a "Crocodile Safari" and attracts special attention of tourists. Madikhera dam is situated in the North Western part of the Park.