Cheetah Revival Faces Challenges at Kuno National Park

Kuno National Park's efforts to reintroduce cheetahs in India face hurdles due to a high leopard population and low prey base. Preparations at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary are delayed owing to similar challenges. Authorities are focusing on prey augmentation and leopard management to create a sustainable habitat for cheetahs.

Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, India's first home to translocated cheetahs, is grappling with a high leopard population and low prey base, hindering preparations at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, designated as the second site for cheetah introduction.

Summary records from the Centre's Cheetah Project Steering Committee meetings indicate that prey augmentation and leopard management are major ongoing challenges since the cheetah reintroduction in September 2022.

Low prey density has caused cheetahs to remain in enclosures longer, following fatal incidents caused by septicemia. As a temporary solution, authorities are introducing prey and initiating leopard translocation drives in both areas.

(With inputs from agencies.)