Relocation of Cheetahs from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar Approved

The Cheetah Project Steering Committee, constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), has approved the relocation of a few cheetahs from Kuno National Park to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, both located in Madhya Pradesh. This move aims to advance the long-term conservation strategy of establishing a meta-population of cheetahs across a connected landscape. However, this decision comes amid concerns about prey availability, heat stress during transportation, and conflict with leopards, which are co-predators in the new habitat. Preparations like prey base augmentation, fencing, and training of personnel are underway to ensure a smooth transition.

Key Points

Committee Involved

• Cheetah Project Steering Committee, under NTCA.
• Formed in May 2023.

Relocation Decision

• Cheetahs to be moved from Kuno National Park to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Gandhi Sagar is located ~300 km from Kuno.

Project Cheetah Background

• Launched in 2022.
• Involved translocation of 8 cheetahs from Namibia and 12 from South Africa.
• So far, 8 adult cheetahs and 5 cubs have died at Kuno.

Meta-population Aim

• Target is to build a meta-population of 60–70 cheetahs.
• Landscape spans Kuno–Gandhi Sagar region, including parts of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Initial Release Plan

• 4 to 5 cheetahs to be released into a 64 sq. km fenced zone in western Gandhi Sagar.
• Leopards removed from area to prevent interspecies conflict.

Prey Base Concerns

• Ongoing efforts to introduce chital from other MP forests.
• Existing prey includes chinkara, chousingha, nilgai, and chital.
• Herbivore enclosures built for in-situ breeding.

Concerns Raised

• Inadequate training of staff witnessed in incident where a cheetah and her cubs were given water by a driver.
• Committee urged compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Emphasis on training, cheetah mitras (community volunteers), and ensuring water supply during summer.

Pending Decisions

• Whether cheetahs to be shifted are those already in the wild at Kuno or still in enclosures.

Of 26 cheetahs at Kuno,

• 17 in the wild
• 9 in large enclosures