Cheetah strays out of Kuno National Park, reaches Gwalior

A female cheetah strayed out of the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district and reached the neighbouring Gwalior on Sunday, an official said.

The KNP management has stepped up vigil, and the local forest department has alerted farmers in villages along the forest of Gwalior and Morena district, the official said.

Female cheetah Veera has also hunted a goat in a village in Gwalior district, he said.

“Veera ventured out of KNP and has reached the forests of Gwalior and Morena districts. Forest officials and the KNP team are monitoring the cheetah's movements,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ankit Pandey said.

Farmers in villages adjoining the forest have been alerted and advised to keep a watch on their cattle, the official said, adding that efforts are on to ensure the cheetah’s return to the national park.

Earlier on May 4, male cheetah Pawan from the national park strayed into Karoli district in neighbouring Rajasthan and was rescued by the management.

Under the ambitious cheetah reintroduction project, eight Namibian cheetahs, comprising five females and three males, were released into enclosures at KNP on September 17, 2022.

In February 2023, 12 more cheetahs were brought in from South Africa.

There are now 27 cheetahs in KNP, including 14 cubs born on Indian soil.