Preparations completed for cheetahs' second home in MP's Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government has completed preparations at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, slated to be the second home for cheetahs, an official said on Tuesday.

Teams from Kenya and South Africa had earlier visited Gandhi Sagar to assess the conditions for reintroduction of cheetahs, the official said.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the state wildlife board, during which it was informed that preparations have been completed, he said.

Prey animals were relocated from Kanha, Satpura and Sanjay tiger reserves to Gandhi Sagar, the official said.

Under the ambitious cheetah reintroduction project, eight Namibian cheetahs, five females and three males, were released into enclosures at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on September 17, 2022.

In February 2023, 12 more cheetahs were brought from South Africa.

With the death of a cub born to female cheetah Gamini earlier this month, the number has reduced to 26, including 13 adults brought from Namibia and South Africa.

The official said that during the meeting, the chief minister directed officials to conduct a study on the possibilities of bringing rhinos and other rare and endangered wild animals to the forests of Madhya Pradesh.

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur district is around 270 km from Kuno National Park in Sheopur.

The second home for cheetahs is spread over 64 sq km, protected with a wired fence, an official had said earlier.