Bengaluru: Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park authorities on Friday (February 21) have released five more cheetahs – a female and her four 13-month-old cubs – into the wild from their enclosures. The releases are part of Project Cheetah, India’s ambitious cheetah introduction programme that aims to bring in African cheetahs to select grassland habitats in central India.
The authorities have released Jwala, a female cheetah brought in from Namibia, and her four 13-month-old cubs (two males and two females), Uttam Kumar Sharma, assistant principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) and director of Project Lion, said in a press statement.
The animals are all healthy, and were released in the Khajuri forest area (part of the Ahera tourism zone) in Kuno National Park, the statement said.
“Now, due to the presence of Cheetahs in tourism zone, tourists may get opportunity to see cheetah during safari visit,” the press note declared.
There are now 12 cheetahs in the wild in Kuno – five adults (two males and three females), and seven cubs (five males and two females). While the latest release was of Jwala and its four cubs on February 21, authorities had released five cheetahs earlier this month.
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On February 5, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav had released a female cheetah named Dheera and another named Aasha, as well as its three 13-month-old cubs, in the wild. Prior to that, park authorities released two males – Agni and Vayu – on December 4 last year.
Sharma told The Wire that all cheetahs in the wild are fine and are being monitored round-the-clock. A nine-member team monitors each cheetah group across three eight-hour shifts, he said. The animals’ radio and satellite collars help track them in real time if teams lose sight of them in the vegetation, he added. The cheetahs are mostly inside Kuno National Park, but they are “exploring animals” and keep exploring the area, he said.
“All the released cheetahs are doing well,” Sharma said on February 22. In fact, the three cubs of cheetah Aasha that were released in early February have separated from their mother, he added.
“All [Aasha’s] cubs are males and they have started hunting on their own,” Sharma mentioned.