MP To Get Third Cheetah Home; Pair From Kuno To Be Released At Nauradehi On October 7

Madhya Pradesh is set to expand its cheetah conservation program with the introduction of a third cheetah habitat. After Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, also known as Nauradehi, will become the third major cheetah home in the state. The Cheetah Steering Committee has approved the relocation of four cheetahs to Nauradehi, with the process beginning on October 7.

This will see the arrival of male cheetah Tholo and female cheetah CCB-3 from Kuno National Park, released by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav into a specially prepared enclosure. CCB-3 is the sister of Radha, a cheetah already released in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. Nauradehi, the largest tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh, spans around 2,340 square kilometers and features large grasslands and open forests ideal for cheetahs to run and hunt.

The cheetahs will initially be kept in a 439-hectare soft-release boma before being introduced to the wider landscape. The enclosure is divided into five sections with power fencing, and round-the-clock monitoring and tracking arrangements are in place. This move comes after India previously considered shifting cheetahs to Gujarat's Banni grasslands, but the final release date there remains undecided, thus Nauradehi is now set to receive the first pair of cheetahs.

Kuno National Park currently houses 51 cheetahs, while Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, around 365 kilometers from Kuno, has four. Nauradehi lies approximately 250 kilometers from Gandhi Sagar and around 370 kilometers from Kuno. With this addition, Madhya Pradesh will now have three major cheetah habitats: Kuno, Gandhi Sagar, and Nauradehi.