On December 9, the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, cleared the plan to transfer a handful of cheetahs from Kuno National Park to Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, according to government officials.
This decision comes just before the next group of cheetahs – eight in total, coming from Botswana – is scheduled to land in the state on January 26. They will first be quarantined at Kuno. “The fresh batch of eight cheetahs from Botswana will arrive in Madhya Pradesh on January 26,” said Forest and Environment Minister Dilip Ahirwar during a press briefing held in Khajuraho, where CM Yadav, former BJP state chief and MP V. D. Sharma also spoke.
Minister Ahirwar confirmed that the Cabinet had approved the shift of some cheetahs from Kuno to Nauradehi, which now bears the name of Veerangana Rani Durgavati. The sanctuary, situated in Bundelkhand, will become the third home for cheetahs in the state, after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
The state’s cheetah re‑introduction programme began in 2022 with eight Namibia‑originated big cats released at Kuno on September 17, followed by 12 South African cheetahs on February 18, 2023. Twenty of these were introduced in two batches; although nine adult cheetahs have since died, the current population at Kuno has risen to 31, including five newborn cubs, despite the recent loss of two more cubs. Earlier this year, on April 20, two male cheetahs from South Africa – Pavak and Prabhas – were moved from Kuno to the Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary, giving the animals a second home in Madhya Pradesh.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
