Madhya Pradesh: Kuno Cheetahs May be Released in Wild After Monsoon

The cheetahs in Kuno are natives of Africa where winter sets in this time around. Hence, the adult cheetahs in Kuno have developed a thick winter coat on their back, a genetic issue, now.

“All the adult cheetahs in KNP have now developed a thick winter coat on their back which is a genetic issue. But, there was not a single case of maggot-infestation among them this time (in the monsoon) due to the disinfection measures undertaken by us before the monsoon set in”, KNP field director Uttam Kumar Sharma told this newspaper on Saturday.

Last monsoon, three cheetahs had succumbed to maggot-infestation, in Kuno forcing the authorities to bring all the surviving cheetahs to shift to the large enclosures for their regular health monitoring.

The rain dampens the fur of the cheetahs which tend to rub the particular part of the body with a hard surface to get relief, leading to bleeding injury in their back. This causes maggot-infestation in them.

“A special kind of ointment, Anti Ecto Parasite drug, was procured from South Africa and applied on the cheetahs that have developed thick furs on their backs. This has saved the cheetahs from maggot infestation”, Mr Sharma said.

There are currently 13 adult cheetahs and 12 cubs in KNP.

Meanwhile, barring Pavan, the male cheetah, the remaining 24 big cats have been kept in the large enclosures since almost a year.

Sources said that a decision was yet to be taken as to when the other 24 cheetahs would be released in the wild.

Only Pavan is currently in the wild in Kuno.

“The cheetahs will be released in the wild when they will be found to be comfortable”, a senior forest officer posted in KNP told this newspaper, requesting not to be quoted.

In a related development, the steering committee on cheetah conservation met at Delhi on Friday to review the cheetah project, sources said.

The committee has decided to release the cheetahs in the wild after monsoon in a phased manner, sources said.

All the 25 cheetahs in KNP are in good health, a forest officer said.

Eight cheetahs were brought to Kuno from Namibia in the first ever intercontinental translocation of carnivores in September, 2022. A few months later, 12 more cheetahs were brought to Kuno from South Africa.

Some cheetahs have died of various reasons during the period, while three female cheetahs have delivered cubs.