Cheetah Reintroduction in India

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Bhainsrorgarh sanctuary to be 2nd home of cheetahs

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh forest department is planning to fence off 
Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary — Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary complex in Mandsaur district as a second home for cheetahs in the state.

Senior officers informed that the survey has been done and experts from African countries have visited this site. “A part of this area is being fenced. It will take at least a year to complete the work. It would be a second home for cheetahs then,” said a forest officer.


Among the ten surveyed sites in five central Indian States, Kuno Palpur National Park (KNP) in the State of Madhya Pradesh was rated high on the priority list for considering the introduction of the cheetah because of its suitable habitat and adequate prey base.

Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India recommended sites for reintroduction of cheetah in India based on the 2010 surveys as well as recent assessments are Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (1197 km2, habitat 5500 km2), Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary – Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary complex (~2500 km2), Shahgarh bulge in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan (4220 km2), and Mukundara Tiger Reserve as fenced enclosure (~80 km2) for holding and conservation breeding of cheetah in controlled wild conditions.

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Sagar, have low prey base. The prey base at Gandhi Sagar will be augmented. 

Steps are being taken; officer informed. Officers informed that there is uncertainty over dates for arrival of 12 cheetahs from South Africa as MoU is pending

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BHOPAL: Five cheetahs will soon be released from their protected enclosures and into the wild in Kuno National Park even as preparations are on to translocate 12 cheetahs from South Africa to Kuno.

Once they are released beyond the fenced off area, it will be the first time since the species went extinct in India in 1952 that cheetahs will be prowling free and wild in the country.


A wildlife team managing cheetahs is set to move three males and two females in the wild, say sources. "Three females will remain inside (enclosures). A review meeting will be held soon and a decision will be taken for their release," said J S Chouhan, the state's chief wildlife warden.

The male cheetahs released into Kuno are expected to establish a coalition territory after exploring and investigating the habitat. If any animal tends to get into an undesirable environment, it would be brought back, say sources.

Since their arrival in India on September 17, the three male and five female cheetahs have been held exclusively in fenced-off areas. First, they spent 30 days in quarantine enclosures where they were fed. Then, they were shifted to 'hunting bomas', where the team observed each of them getting used to Indian prey and becoming proficient hunters.


Now, the cheetahs face a wild landscape that is home to other predators that are their competitors. Some of these predators could even be a treat to the cheetahs, as is the rule of the wild.

In Africa, cheetahs encounter hyenas, leopards and lions in the wild, but never tigers. In Kuno, they may encounter tigers.



Team to monitor cheetahs closely & support them 


Now, the cheetahs face a wild landscape that is home to other predators that are their competitors. Some of these predators could even be a treat to the cheetahs, as is the rule of the wild. In Africa, cheetahs encounter hyenas, leopards and lions in the wild, but never tigers. In Kuno, they may encounter tigers. According to the Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India (2021), with prey restoration, the reintroduction of lions as well as colonization by tigers in Kuno National Parkare are both possibilities. If a cheetah would encounter a tiger passing through Kuno, how would the species react? At this point, no one really knows, but the researchers involved in monitoring the cheetahs aim to find out.



The team will closely monitor cheetahs to support them and gather information about their behaviour in the wild. Each cheetah has been fitted with a satellite-GPS-VHF radio-collar that enables the Project Cheetah team to identify individuals and track movements. The Action Plan recommends the cheetah population in Kuno be intensively managed this way for at least 10 years.


According to the Action Plan, these methods are part of a "soft-release" technique that has been successfully used in reintroduction of northern Rocky Mountain grey wolf, red wolf, Mexican wolves, swift fox, African cheetahs and African lions. In India, such a method has also been successfully used for tiger reintroduction in Sariska and Panna Tiger Reserves. 



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12 cheetahs from South Africa set to arrive in India tomorrow

Twelve cheetahs from South Africa are set to arrive in India on Saturday, taking the total count of the big cats to 20 in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, the Union environment ministry said on Thursday.

Kuno earlier received eight cheetahs — three male and five female — from Namibia on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 17. The animal will return to a wild enclosure in India 71 years after the last recorded cheetah was hunted down in Chhattisgarh in 1952.

The seven male and five female cheetahs arriving on Saturday comprise the second tranche of big cats coming to Kuno, which was home to Asian cheetahs over 100 years ago.

The Indian Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster Cargo plane that  will bring the 12 cheetahs from South Africa landed at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo airport on Thursday evening, and is set take off late on Friday, an official familiar with the matter said.

“They will arrive in MP from South Africa at 11am on Saturday. MP CM Chouhan and Union minister for environment, forests and climate change Bhupender Yadav will later release them in the quarantine bomas (enclosures),” Ramesh Gupta, the state’s head of forest force (HoFF), told news agency PTI.

The cheetahs identified for translocation are from Phinda Game Reserve in Kwazulu Natal (two male, one female) and Rooiberg Game Reserve in Limpopo Province (five male, four female).

According to experts in South Africa, seven of the 12 cheetahs have been in quarantine for more than seven months, which may impact their prospects for successful reintroduction.

“The seven-month quarantine period has the potential to negatively impact prospects for successful reintroduction, as the cheetahs would also have lost considerable fitness, condition and vigilance during this period,” said the expert, who didn’t wish to be named. The other five cheetahs are stated to be fit as they were recaptured in December 2023, the expert added.

“The reproductive ability of the females would have been compromised as fertility is reduced if females only start breeding later in life, or go through long periods without breeding. This has the potential to compromise their successful establishment in Kuno,” said Vincent Van der Merwe, cheetah metapopulation project head.

He, however, added: “They are wild-born and know what to do. They will slowly regain fitness and conditions, but it would have been better if they only did two months in boma...”

Indian officials said that the cheetahs have undergone extensive health check-ups and they are fit to be translocated.

“The longer duration of captivity will not leave any impact on the cheetahs. The Namibian cheetahs were also in captivity, but after release in 6 sq km predator-free boma, they hunt properly and satisfying their hunger by killing preys that were totally new herbivores for them,” National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) member secretary SP Yadav said

Once they arrive, the cheetahs will be kept in quarantine for a month and their health will be closely monitored, he added.

“We have a goal of creating a sustainable and viable meta population in India which is around 40 individuals. We will consider Project Cheetah a success when we have a viable population of 40 cheetahs and there is successful breeding every year,” Yadav said.

On the eight cheetahs from Namibia living at Kuno, Yadav said: “They are marking, or scratching on trees, and you can see them in groups which means they are forming coalitions. They are also hunting every 3-4 days...”

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12 cheetahs from South Africa released into quarantine enclosures at Kuno National Park


Indian Air Force's Mi-17 helicopters carrying the second batch of 12 Cheetah landed at their destination, Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

The big cats made their journey in Indian Air Force's (IAF) C-17 Globemaster cargo plane.

The aircraft after a 10-hour long flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, landed at Air Force Station Gwalior today.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed his gratitude to PM Narendra Modi and thanked him for increasing the number of Cheetahs in Kuno National Park.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister for Environment and Forests Bhupender Yadav released these felines into the quarantine bomas after they were transported to the KNP from Gwalior around noon.

"In Kuno National Park today, the number of Cheetahs is going to increase. I thank PM Modi from the bottom of my heart, it is his vision. 12 Cheetahs will be rehabilitated to Kuno and total number will become 20," CM Chouhan said.

With the addition of these 12 members, the count of cheetahs at the KNP has gone up to 20. "The cheetahs from South Africa have been quarantined," Kuno Divisional Forest Officer P K Verma told PTI from the spot. These animals had embarked on a journey to their new home thousands of miles away aboard an IAF transport aircraft from the O R Tambo International Airport, Gauteng in South Africa shortly before midnight, a project participant and expert said earlier. The intercontinental translocation of these fastest land animals - first from Namibia and now from South Africa - is part of the Indian government's ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme. The country's last cheetah died in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the species was declared extinct in 1952

Earlier the Cheetah Project Chief, SP Yadav said, "We are happy to announce that at 8.30 pm (Local South African Time), the 12 cheetahs took off from Johannesburg airport in a C-17 Globemaster aircraft for the Gwalior airport. The cheetahs will land at the Gwalior airport at around 10 am IST on Saturday, February 18".

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12 Cheetahs brought from South Africa savour their meal, appear playful

It has been 46 hours since 12 cheetahs from South Africa were brought into Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur. They were seen frolicking in their quarantine enclosure.

In the 46 hours, a team of doctors went to the quarantine enclosures six times for health checkups of the cheetahs, in which they were found to be physically and mentally fit. They were also served food and water after their arrival.

The cheetahs spent the second day in a fun-filled atmosphere. The experts are assuming that cheetahs will soon adapt to the new environment.

After traveling 7,929 km from Johannesburg, South Africa, the 12 cheetahs (5 females and 7 males) reached Kuno National Park on February 18. They were released by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the quarantine enclosures built in the park.

The cheetahs have been kept under surveillance in the quarantine enclosures of Kuno National Park.

'CHEETAHS SEEN HAVING FUN'

DFO of Kuno National Park Prakash Kumar Verma told Aaj Tak, “Cheetahs from South Africa are healthy in the quarantine enclosures of the park. After traveling a long way, they were seen having fun. The big cats drank water and ate meat on time. The monitoring team is continuously keeping an eye on their health”.

The 12 cheetahs arrived on Saturday and were released into quarantine enclosures at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district, five months after the first batch of eight of these fastest land animals were brought there from Namibia, another African nation.

Their inter-continental translocation is part of the Indian government's ambitious programme to reintroduce these animals in the country seven decades after they became extinct. The country's last cheetah died in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the species was declared extinct in 1952.

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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. 


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DTE Exclusive: Two Namibian cheetahs released into the wild at Kuno National Park

Two cheetahs — Oban (male) and Asha (female) — were released into the wild from their five square kilometre enclosure in the Kuno National Park (KNP) March 11, 2023 almost seven months since they were first brought to India from Namibia September 17, 2022.
The two have adapted well to KNP’s environment and have been hunting on their own. The park authorities, in a conversation with Down To Earth, said the two are well adapted to the new environment and will be able to fend for themselves in the wild.
“We have to release all cheetahs into the wild and were just waiting for the right time. Since these two were doing well in the enclosure, we decided to release them first,” said Divisional Forest Officer of KNP, Prakash Verma. “We first captured Oban in the morning and released him, then trapped Asha in the afternoon and released her.”
The cheetahs have satellite collars and the park authorities will monitor them vigilantly in the initial days.
“We still need to keep an eye on them to prevent them from wandering into the villages outside Kuno. Today, they only went up to half a kilometre from the enclosure. We also need to see how they will adapt to living with leopards as so far, they have not encountered any since the enclosure was leopard-free,” he said.
Five-year-old Oban is a second-generation, wild-born cub. He was born to a rehabilitated female at Erindi Private Game Reserve of Namibia in March 2018. His mother was also born there and then returned to the wild by Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), an international non-profit working for cheetah conservation.
Asha was around 3.5 years old when she was brought to India last year. She is a wild-born female captured on a private farm in Namibia by CCF in July 2022. She was released in CCF’s property thereafter.
Earlier, the park authorities were planning to release the male coalition of Elton and Freddie, twin cheetahs aged 5.5 years (on arrival) who were also brought to India as part of the first batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia.
In Namibia, they were living wild on CCF’s 58,000-hectare private reserve near Otjiwarongo since July 2021. But since the two could not be captured together for release into the wild, the park authorities decided on Oban and Asha.
“We tried to capture them but since they could not be trapped, we did not want to attempt again as it would have just stressed out the animals, which is not conducive for their health. Since they have formed a coalition, it would not have been wise to break them up by releasing one of them into the wild and keeping the other one inside,” Verma added.
The 12 cheetahs brought to KNP from South Africa earlier this year are also doing well in the new environment.
In the meantime, Sasha, the 4.5-year-old female who suffered from renal failure, is gradually recovering.
“She is still in quarantine as her treatment is still going on. She is doing better than before and we hope she is able to recover completely. But as long as the treatment continues, she will be under observation until the vets give us the green signal,” Verma said.


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Kuno: Cheetahs released in the wild kill their first prey within 24 hours

Two cheetahs — Oban and Asha — who were released into the wild in Kuno National Park (KNP) have made their first kill. The two have each hunted two chitals (spotted deer) individually within 24 hours of their releases, making the park authorities hopeful. 
Prakash Verma, divisional forest officer, KNP, told Down To Earth:

Quote:We are happy to see that they have already started hunting. They are moving separately in the wild and have gone six to seven kilometres into the jungle so far. We are tacking them with the help of radio collars so that they don’t wander into uncharted territories.

The authorities are, however, waiting to see how the two will deal with leopards and hyenas that are present in abundance in the national park. Still, they are fairly confident that the three predators will be able to co-exist and not face conflicts. 

“There were other predators like leopards and spotted hyenas in Namibia too and these animals know how to navigate their ways and avoid conflicts. They have different niches so generally they don’t have run-ins. But the cheetahs will come face to face with the two competing predators at some point, it is unavoidable,” added Verma.

The two cheetahs are, however, not mating as speculated by many. 
The decision to release the two cheetahs was taken by the Cheetah Task Force (CTF) after consulting the veterinarians, the ground staff and experts of the Cheetah Conservation fund. The other cheetahs from Namibia will also be released into the wild soon in a phased manner, on CTF’s recommendation. 

As per the Cheetah Action Plan, the cheetahs, after completing one month of quarantine, were supposed to be kept in the bigger enclosure for a month and were to be released into the wild much sooner. The males were supposed to be released first. But the plan was delayed and the first two cheetahs were only released in the wild on March 11, 2023. 

Verma told DTE:

Quote:It was necessary for us to ensure that these cheetahs had adapted well to the new environment and they were all in good health before taking the decision to release these two. Besides, some villagers set up snare traps to catch small herbivores and we had forest rangers and field staff looking for these traps and removing them to ensure no cheetahs get caught in them once released, which also caused a delay.

The captive-born cheetahs will be released last as they need more time to adapt to the wild, he said. 
The 12 cheetahs from South Africa are in quarantine and will be released into the five square kilometre enclosure only after they complete 30 days of quarantine. Since they are all wild-born, they will likely be released into the wild much sooner than the Namibian ones.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-&-biodiversity/amp/kuno-cheetahs-released-in-the-wild-kill-their-first-prey-within-24-hours-88205 Reply

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Cheetahs seen in the wild in India after 70 years at Kuno National Park

*This image is copyright of its original author

Seventy years after its extinction from India, a cheetah has been pictured roaming in the wild at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. A forest official took a picture of Oban, the male cheetah that was released into the open forest along with Asha, a female cheetah.

A total of 20 cheetahs arrived in India in two batches - the first batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia came in September 2022 and 12 more from South Africa came in February

Oban and Asha were released into the open forest from their enclosures on March 11. 



The picture of Oban was taken by a forest official who is part of the team monitoring the cheetahs. Prakash Kumar Verma, DFO, Kuno National Park said Oban and Asha roam the open forest in harmony. Sometimes the two big cats run in opposite directions, while other times, they sit together and take in their surroundings at the national park. 

Forest officials are also preparing to release the remaining six Namibian cheetahs in the open forest soon. The quarantine period for the 12 cheetahs from South Africa has also come to an end. They will soon be released into a bigger enclosure. 



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Two more cheetahs released into the wild at Kuno National Park

BHOPAL: Elton and Freddie, two Namibian cheetahs also known as 'The Rockstars', were released in Kuno National Park in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, marking the second successful release of cheetahs in the wild.

The first couple, Oban and Aasha, were released two weeks prior and are currently exploring the region.

Sources have reported that Aasha has been moving in non-territorial regions. Originally, the plan was to release Elton and Freddy first, but officials were unable to capture Elton, who had been living in a hunting boma since November of last year. 


Therefore, Oban and Aasha were released in the first phase since they were mating. The local State Forest Department staff, assisted by the cheetah research team, is monitoring their movements 24 hours a day, and any animal that gets into an undesirable environment will be brought back.

Aasha was captured in a trap cage on a farm adjacent to the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) Centre in Otjiwarongo, Namibia in July 2022. 

On September 17, Prime Minister Modi of India was given the gift of naming this Namibian cheetah in honor of his birthday, and he chose the Indian name, Aasha, meaning "hope." CCF believes that Aasha was pregnant when she was translocated from Namibia to Kuno, but had lost the embryos, likely due to stress. 


Oban, on the other hand, is a male cheetah born at Erindi Private Game Reserve in March 2018 and considered a second-generation, wild-born cub to a rehabilitated female, proving reintroduction success in Namibia.

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Madhya Pradesh: Sasha, one of Kuno National Park's new cheetahs, dead

BHOPAL: India's hopes of reviving the cheetah population in the country have suffered a major setback as the majestic Sasha was found dead in her cubicle at Kuno National Park on Monday. The news of her untimely demise has left the wildlife enthusiasts in a state of shock and grief.

The Madhya Pradesh department had dispatched an emergency medical response team to Kuno in Sheopur district when Sasha was diagnosed with a serious medical condition back in January. The preliminary assessments of the cheetah showed symptoms of dehydration and renal disease, according to sources.


In an effort to save Sasha's life, a team of veterinarians led by Dr. Atul Gupta, the lead vet of Van Vihar National Park, was sent to Kuno from Bhopal, which was over 350 km away. The experts managed to administer fluids, which led to an improvement in Sasha's condition.

Sasha, along with seven other cheetahs, was airlifted to Kuno on September 17, and was adapting well to her new home in India, under the watchful eyes of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Madhya Pradesh Forest Department staff. However, as experts suggest, chronic kidney disease is a common ailment among cheetahs.

All eight cheetahs had been in hunting enclosures at Kuno National Park since November last year. The tragic loss of Sasha is not only a setback for the project but also a huge loss to the biodiversity of the country. The authorities are expected to conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of Sasha's death.


“It’s normal. She was sick and inspite of best efforts and help from international doctors including those from Namibia she could not be saved. She was weak right from day one,” said a senior officer in the MoEF.

In a poignant turn of events, Kuno has now become the new abode for a total of 19 cheetahs, including twelve South African cheetahs released into enclosures in February this year as part of the Prime Minister's grand vision, Project Cheetah. Though Sasha's death is a significant setback to the project, the park still stands tall as the proud home to 19 other majestic cheetahs, with seven more having been brought from Namibia and released by the honorable Prime Minister in September last year. Out of the total cheetah population, four have already ventured into the wilderness and are strutting their stuff in the park's sprawling expanse.

Sasha was 5.5-year-old female Namibian cheetah.


Sasha was found on a farm near Gobabis, a town in east-central Namibia, by some of the farm workers in late 2017. She was skinny and malnourished. The workers nursed her back to health. In January 2018, CCF staff learned about Sasha and moved her to the CCF Centre lands, which include a large, integrated, livestock model farm and wildlife reserve.

Since another female cheetah, Savannah, arrived at the CCF Centre in 2019, Sasha and she became friends with Sasha, and the two are typically always found together in their enclosure. Sasha and Savannah were living together in the big hunting boma at Kuno National Park awaiting release.

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Good news: Four healthy cheetah cubs born in Kuno National Park



BHOPAL: Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has welcomed first baby cheetahs as part of Project Cheetah. Sources informed that Cheetha named Siyaya has delivered four cubs. And they are in a good condition.

Officials involved in the conservation project expressed their delight and said that the birth of the cubs is a positive sign that the cheetahs are adjusting well to their new environment in 

Kuno National Park. The park is being prepared as a suitable habitat for the reintroduction of cheetahs into India's wildlife population.

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Cheetah sneaks out of Kuno National Park for second time this month

Male cheetah Oban has once again strayed out of Kuno National Park in Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Monday, the development coming days after it had ventured out of the facility and was brought back post tranquilisation. 

Five-year-old Oban is out of KNP, which has a core area of 748 square kilometres, and its surrounding 487 square kilometre buffer zone since Sunday and is in neighbouring Shivpuri forest division, an official told PTI on the condition of anonymity. 

"It does not pose a threat to humans, nor do humans pose a threat to it. So there is no need for tranquilisation to bring it back. A close eye is being kept on its movement," he added. Oban is safe and secure, KNP Director Uttam Sharma told PTI, but refused to share details of its current location.

Oban, one of the eight cheetahs that were brought from Namibia on September 17, had strayed out of KNP on April 2, and was rescued from Bairad in Shivpuri on April 6. 

When asked whether this movement by Oban hinted at lack of space for these animals in KNP, Sharma said, "Nobody exactly knows how much space a cheetah needs given the fact that they went extinct more than seven decades ago. In fact, we are learning about them after their translocation (to KNP) from Namibia and South Africa." 


Brushing aside comments by some experts on the space needed by cheetahs to lead a fulfilling life in the wild, Sharma said "experts had claimed cheetahs can't breed in captivity but they were proved wrong as Siyaya gave birth to four cubs in March in KNP".

Deshdeep Saxena, wildlife expert and author of 'Breathless: Hunted and Hounded, the Tiger Runs for Its Life', however, said there was immediate need to develop 4000 square kilometres of landscape attached to KNP for cheetahs to move about.

"We are seeing the trait of cheetahs venturing out of the park when just four of them have been released into the wild. What will happen when the rest (15) will also be set free? These animals were raised in fenced game reserves in South Africa and Namibia and their outings pose a threat of man-animal conflict," Saxena opined.

While the eight cheetahs from Namibia were brought to KNP on September 17, a set of 12 were brought from South Africa on February 18 this year. One of them died due to a renal problem. The country's last cheetah died in Koriya district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947 and the species was declared extinct in 1952.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bhopal-news/cheetah-sneaks-out-of-kuno-national-park-for-second-time-this-month-101681739092802-amp.html?fbclid=IwAR0aaxc3TGMUc-5kQsGR6MsQuak4Ji5ZrDTC-xigruDjOSfRCYkAS729Vj8&mibextid=tejx2t Reply

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Project Cheetah chief SP Yadav has said that all 12 cheetahs brought to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh from South Africa in February this year were released successfully on Tuesday from quarantine to bigger acclimatisation enclosures following official clearance.

Mr Yadav told ANI that requisite clearance has been received from Animal Quarantine and Certification Service.


The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change received final 'No objection Certificate' from the Centre's Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS).

As per the no objection certificate issue by AQCS the Cheetah were quarantined at approved premises of Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh for 30 days and "based on the routine observation and test reports (negative), the Cheetah are found free from any infectious disease".

"Final No Objection Certificate is accorded," AQCS said.

After official clearance, all 12 cheetahs brought from South Africa in Kuno National Park were released from quarantine to bigger acclimatisation enclosures successfully on April 18.

Twelve cheetahs from South Africa arrived on February 18 in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park after South Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the re-introduction of Cheetahs in India to establish a viable cheetah population in the Asian country.

Earlier, eight cheetahs brought from Namibia were released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kuno National Park on the occasion of his birthday on September 17, 2022. One Cheetah died due to illness recently. 

Radio collars have been installed in all the cheetahs and there is monitoring through satellite. Apart from this, a dedicated monitoring team keeps monitoring the location round the clock.

MoU terms are to be reviewed every five years.

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/12-cheetahs-at-kuno-national-park-released-from-quarantine-to-bigger-enclosures-3963033/amp/1?fbclid=IwAR3JoudyitujCDWPnjuqknDKpi4aVmXrqg8A5MnhdPu2qmBU6p5lUbnD0xM&mibextid=tejx2t Reply

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MP: Gandhisagar Sanctuary to be second new home of cheetahs

Gandhisagar Sanctuary will be developed as a second home for cheetahs within six months to retain the tag of cheetah state, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Friday.

In a meeting with the Wildlife Advisory Board, the chief minister instructed the forest officials to develop the Gandhisagar Sanctuary as a habitat for cheetahs in the next six months, said a senior forest official.

The move comes after experts suggested that Kuno National Park (KNP)does not have enough space for all cheetahs. In the meeting on Friday, board member Abhilash Khandekar also suggested that after increasing the number of cheetahs in Kuno National Park in Sheopur, the area would not be sufficient for them, hence it is necessary to relocate a few.

“Gandhisagar Sanctuary should be developed for Cheetah as soon as possible. If the sanctuary doesn’t get ready, Cheetah will be shifted to Rajasthan. Madhya Pradesh’s identity as ‘Cheetah State’ will end,” said the official.

After Khandekar’s proposal, CM Chouhan immediately instructed the forest officials to develop Gandhisagar Sanctuary within six months.

The CM said, “ ₹20 crore will be spent on the development.”

HT had previously reported that forest officials have requested a second home for the cheetahs as KNP doesn’t have enough space.

the forest department had asked the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to take a decision in this regard.

“In a fencing of 80sq km, grassland will be developed for cheetahs,” said a member of the Cheetah Task Force.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bhopal-news/madhya-pradesh-to-develop-gandhisagar-sanctuary-as-second-home-for-cheetahs-within-6-months-cm-chouhan-cheetahstate-wildlifeconservation-101682151167038-amp.html?fbclid=IwAR3nycpaIzG-rhawkNBh4Cx2_fXXxRZ6SFJGdWzvM4mlJ7-dCYScIpkU42c&mibextid=tejx2t Reply