Madhya Pradesh: Cheetahs Released in Kuno NP After a Year in Enclosures

 Bhopal: Two of the 24 cheetahs moved to large enclosures in the Kuno National Park for health check-up were released in the wild after 15 months of monitoring on Wednesday. The development coincided with the International Cheetah Day.

“Today, on the occasion of International Cheetah Day, two male cheetahs, Agni and Vayu, have been released in the Parond forest area of Kuno National Park successfully. Both cheetahs are healthy”, field director of Kuno NP Uttam Kumar Sharma told this newspaper.

The forest area where the two adult cheetahs were released is part of Ahera tourism zone falling under Kuno NP. “Now due to the presence of cheetahs in the tourism zone, tourists may get the opportunity to see them during a safari visit,” Sharma said.

“The remaining 22 cheetahs which have been kept in the large enclosures in Kuno will be released in the wild in phases,” a member of the steering committee which is currently camping in the park to oversee the process told this newspaper, unwilling to be quoted.

The cheetahs will be released in phases to ensure that they are physically fit for a wild life, he added.

The cheetahs were moved to the large enclosures in August last year for regular health checkups following the death of three cheetahs due to septicemia caused by maggot infestation.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of International Cheetah Day, several rallies of ‘cheetah-mitras’ were organised by the Kuno NP in various parts of Sheopur district.