Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh): In a major step towards wildlife conservation and tourism, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released five cheetahs into the open forest of Kuno National Park on Wednesday. 

The group includes two adult female cheetahs, Asha and Dheera, along with Asha’s three cubs. Notably, these three cubs were born in Kuno itself.

According to Kuno’s Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Thirukural, two other cheetahs, Agni and Vayu, had already been released in December and are currently roaming freely within the park. 

With this new release, the total number of cheetahs in the open forest of Kuno has now reached seven. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also inquired about the health of newly born cubs of another cheetah, Veera.

Focus on tourism boost

This move is expected to boost tourism in Kuno National Park. Until now, the cheetahs were kept within a 100-hectare enclosed area, but now visitors will have the chance to see them roaming freely in the wild. This will not only attract more tourists but also provide a more natural habitat for the cheetahs to thrive.

More about Kuno Cheetah

Asha is the first mother cheetah in Kuno to give birth, delivering three male cubs on January 1, 2024. The park management discovered their birth on January 2. These three cubs will stay with their mother for the next three months and learn to hunt.

Special precautions have been taken to ensure their safety in the wild. Two dedicated teams have been assigned to monitor Asha and her cubs around the clock. The monitoring teams will keep track of every movement, and the personnel on duty will rotate periodically to maintain vigilance.

This release marks a crucial milestone in India’s cheetah conservation efforts and is expected to enhance the natural ecosystem of Kuno National Park.