Cheetah Reintroduction in India

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How Kuno National Park is all set for release of some cheetahs in the wild

The presence of a tiger in the area around Kuno National Park in northwestern Madhya Pradesh is not likely to cast a shadow over the release of a few translocated African cheetahs in the wild. Top forest department sources in MP said that one or two cheetahs are likely to be released in the wild over the next weekend. 

Last week, the Rajasthan forest department, in the course of their monitoring of tigers at the Ranthambore National Park, had informed the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Morena about a tiger that had crossed the Chambal river to enter MP from Rajasthan. The Kuno Palpur National Park, where eight cheetahs from Namibia and 12 cheetahs from South Africa are housed, is located south of Morena district.  

The information had alarmed a section of the conservation community, which felt that the presence of the tiger could be a threat to the cheetahs once they are released in the wild. Prior to this, the Cheetah Monitoring Committee had cleared the release of some cheetahs in the wild. 

Top forest department sources said that the said tiger has not been sighted in MP as yet and not around Kuno National Park at all. “South African and Namibian experts, who were consulted, are of the view that there is no threat from the tiger to the cheetahs,” said MP chief wildlife warden J.S. Chauhan. The cheetahs most likely to be released include Elton and Freddie, the brothers who have been most active and seem well settled in their enclosures.

The cheetahs to be released are radio-collared and will be monitored through the satellite-based tracking systems. Eight cheetahs were brought to Kuno from Namibia and released on September 17, 2022 while 12 more cheetahs were brought from South Africa and released on February 18. 


https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/how-kuno-national-park-is-all-set-for-release-of-some-cheetahs-in-the-wild-2343803-2023-03-07?fbclid=IwAR2jQXoB7qEcFRZ5TLTP2c-EiwwE8A0nG--i9TyUvjapVmA_YNiPy4C3KCc Reply