MP: Kuno Cheetah Strays Into Rajasthan, Rescued in Challenging Condition

Bhopal: A cheetah from Kuno National Park in Sheopur district in Madhya Pradesh, which had strayed into Rajasthan, was on Saturday rescued under ‘challenging condition’, a forest officer said.

The male cheetah, Pavan, wandered into Rajasthan through Chambal river bank and was spotted in the Kased village under Karoli district in the neighbouring state by the local villagers, official sources said.

Rajasthan forest officials alerted Kuno authorities about it, leading them to launch a rescue operation.

“Male cheetah Pavan was rescued from Karoli district in Rajasthan under challenging conditions involving a ravine and a huge crowd of onlookers”, a release issued from the office of the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (ACCF) and Director Lion Project here said.

The cheetah had to be handled physically in order to prevent it from falling into the ravine as it cornered at the crest of the ravine after darting amid a gathering of an enormous crowd nearby, the release said.

The animal is being shifted to Kuno National Park and going to be released in the wild, a forest officer of the park said.

“Pavan was free ranging in Kuno National Park and crossed the inter-state boundary amid the human dominated landscape early on Saturday morning. Considering the safety of the animal and of the people, a decision was taken to rescue Pavan”, the release said.

Eight cheetahs from Namibia and 12 cheetahs from South Africa were brought to Kuno National Park under cheetah introduction project two years ago.

The park now has 27 cheetahs including 14 cubs.