Five cheetahs released in MP’s Kuno National Park, bringing total to 12

Bhopal: Five cheetahs --- Jwala and her four cubs --- were released into Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, bringing the total number of cheetahs in the park to 12.

This release in the Khajuri forest of the Ahera tourist zone on Friday follows the successful release of seven cheetahs over the past two months.

“Jwala and her four cubs, born in India in January 2024, were released into the wild after the success of the previous cheetah releases,” a forest official said.

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Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav visited Kuno National Park on February 5, where he released five cheetahs, including three cubs born in India.

“The cubs are 13 months old and hunt together. Since they were born on Indian soil, they should not face any problems. The three cubs released into the wild about 15 days ago have already been seen hunting prey together and spend most of their time together. The survival of these seven cubs is crucial for the success of the first inter-continental translocation of cheetahs,” said Uttam Sharma, field director of Kuno National Park.

Two cheetahs, Agni and Vayu, who were released into the wild in December, are exploring the area and roaming over a large part of Madhya Pradesh.

Currently, 14 cheetahs are housed in an enclosure and will be released into the wild soon.

A total of 20 cheetahs were translocated to India from Namibia and South Africa in 2022 and 2023, according to an official.

Meanwhile, fencing and other infrastructure work at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur, another cheetah habitat, is nearing completion.

The forest department is considering shifting some of the cheetahs from Kuno National Park to Gandhi Sagar, though the final decision will be made by the task force, a senior forest official said.