NEW DELHI: Taking note of the recent movement of two cheetahs that have dispersed from Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh to areas in Rajasthan, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), will coordinate with the governments of both states to develop an interstate corridor to facilitate movement of the cheetahs.
Cheetahs KP-2 and KP-3 from KNP were tracked moving into Baran district of Rajasthan. KP-2 has been located in the Mangrol range of Baran, while KP-3 entered the Banjh Amli Conservation Reserve after traveling 60–70 km from KNP. The two cheetahs are positioned approximately 6 km apart on either side of the Parvati River.
Both animals are being monitored 24/7 via GPS and radio collars by a joint inter-state team, with field teams deployed from Kishanganj and Anta ranges. The NTCA stated, “We are actively coordinating with both State Forest Departments and will issue further updates as warranted.”
This is not the first instance of cheetahs straying from KNP. Since their introduction in September 2022. There have also been reports of conflicts with humans in surrounding areas.
In its statement, the NTCA said that long-distance dispersal across landscape boundaries is well-documented, and is a natural territorial behavior in cheetahs. The authority underscored Project Cheetah’s Action Plan, which addresses the creation of a metapopulation landscape. The corridor aims to connect seven districts in Rajasthan with eight districts in Madhya Pradesh, creating a habitat that spans 17,000 square kilometers.
Project Cheetah is an initiative by the Indian government aimed at reintroducing the cheetah to its historical range in India, where it became extinct in 1952. The plan anticipates and facilitates inter-state movement within the Kuno-Gandhi Sagar metapopulation landscape.
The reintroduction of cheetahs is the world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation project, involving the relocation of cheetahs from countries like Namibia, South Africa, and recently from Botswana to protected areas, primarily Kuno National Park, to help re-establish the species and restore the grassland ecosystem.