Explainer: What will happen to two cheetahs at Kuno National Park?

On April 20, two cheetahs from Kuno National Park (Sheopur) will be relocated to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (Mandsaur), some 420 kilometres away.

 

This is subsequent to the central government granting approval to expand the Cheetah Project.

 

Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Mohan Yadav said that his government planned to enhance tourism at Kuno National Park by improving direct road and air connectivity from Gwalior. He claimed that cheetah cubs born in Madhya Pradesh had the world's highest survival rate.

 

This is not strictly true.

 

Cubs born in India but adult cheetahs are not so lucky

Twenty cheetahs, brought from Namibia and South Africa were reintroduced to Kuno National Park in 2022. There are 26 cheetahs, including 17 cubs born in India, but several adults have died. 

 

Moreover, not all cheetahs have been introduced to the wild—though they have been placed in larger enclosures, owing to a scarcity of prey and competition with leopards. The Gandhi Sagar sanctuary also has the same challenges including low prey base, degradation and human habitation.

 

The state government claims that the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary offers an ideal environment for the big cats.

 

The government’s plans for Kuno include the setting up of a tent city within the forest for tourists, an international-level veterinary hospital and a rescue centre with central assistance to serve cheetahs and support cattle care across the region.

 

The government will also involve more youth and women in wildlife tourism. Women from Self-Help Groups and Cheetah Mitras (Cheetah Friends—local volunteers supporting cheetah conservation) will be trained as tourist guides. ‘Didi Cafés’ (women-run cafes under the State Livelihood Mission) will be opened in the Kuno area, creating local employment opportunities for women.

 

While the state government might tout Kuno as a great success story, the South African and Namibian experts, who were part of the project’s steering committee, have expressed serious concerns about the project’s management and have written to the Supreme Court, highlighting the need for better monitoring and veterinary care. 

 

In September 2023, they also brought to the Court’s notice the lack of expertise to manage the project and the disregard of their opinions. 

India