Sheopur (MP), Sep 17: Various events marked the first anniversary of India’s Cheetah reintroduction programme at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. Under this project, eight Namibian cheetahs- five females and three males- were released into enclosures at KNP on September 17, 2022, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In February this year, 12 more cheetahs arrived at KNP from South Africa.
During the one year, KNP has lost six imported felines and three cubs born in KNP. On Sunday, the KNP management organised a programme at Sesaipura in which senior officials interacted with staffers and “Cheetah Mitras” (friends of cheetahs selected from villages of the KNP neighbourhood).
A photo exhibition was also organised to mark the occasion, an official release said.
Director General and special secretary (Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change), Additional Chief Secretary (MP Forest Department) JN Kansotiya and Additional Director General (ADG), NTCA, SP Yadav were present on the occasion among others.
They greeted KNP staffers and Cheetah Mitras. Keys of motorcycles were handed to the cheetah tracking team. It was also announced that Cheetah Mitras will be given bicycles. About 450 Cheetah Mitras were present in this programme besides other staffers. A booklet on the study conducted by scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India on the behaviour of cheetahs and adaptation of the environment at KNP was released. As per a government report, four of the six criteria established for assessing the short-term success of the cheetah reintroduction programme have already been met.
After cheetahs were introduced on Indian soil, four cubs were born to the Namibian feline ‘Jwala’ in March, taking their population to 24 at KNP, but three of the cubs died in May.
A total of six adult cheetahs have died since March due to various reasons, taking the overall toll to nine, while 14 cheetahs and one cub are in healthy condition in their enclosures.Cheetahs were reintroduced in India last year, 70 years after they became extinct. (PTI)
