BHOPAL: Namibian and South African cheetahs housed in big enclosures at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park since last year’s monsoon following the death of three cheetahs, are set to be released into the wild again after the present rainy season is over. The release will be in phases.
Out of the 25 cheetahs, including 12 adults (one male adult is already in the wild) and the 12 cubs currently housed in enclosures, the adults will first be released into the wild, possibly in October, as the monsoon mostly withdraws from large areas of MP by then. At present, a Namibian male Pawan aka Oban is in the wild.
“The cheetahs will be released in the wild in phases and the male coalitions could be the first ones to be released in the forest after the monsoon is over,” Rajesh Gopal, who heads the Cheetah Project Steering Committee told this newspaper over phone on Saturday.
The two male coalitions currently in the enclosures are Prabhas and Pavak and Agni and Vayu. They are likely to be the first ones to be released in the free ranging forests.
“Subsequently, the other adults will be released into the wild in phases. The mothers and their cubs, however, will be released into the wild in or after December,” Gopal added.
The decision to release the cheetahs was taken following the recent visit of Rajesh Gopal and an NTCA member to the KNP. The team was satisfied with the arrangements there, including the prey base availability. Also, the animals have been administered vaccines to safeguard them against disease and given prophylactic medicine to prevent infection.
In 2023, the cheetahs were initially released into the wild but were brought back to their enclosures by August after the death of three — a female named Tbilisi (from Namibia) and two South African males, Tejas and Sooraj due to septicemia. Septicemia occurs when bacteria enters the bloodstream and spreads.
The condition arose from wounds under the cheetahs’ winter coats on their backs and necks, which became infested with maggots and led to blood infections, according to the government’s annual report.
