Delhi: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav released five more cheetahs – two adult females and three 13-month-old cubs – in the wild in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park on Wednesday (February 5). This is the first time that cheetah cubs are also being released in the wild in Kuno as part of Project Cheetah, India’s ambitious African cheetah introduction programme that is currently ongoing at the park.
Yadav released the animals at the park on his first visit to Kuno, assistant principal chief conservator of forests and park director Uttam Kumar Sharma said in a press note.
“Today in Palpur-Kuno National Park, female cheetahs ‘Dheera’ and ‘Asha’ and three cubs were released from a large enclosure into the open forest. On this occasion, a review was also done with the officials regarding the cheetah project,” Yadav announced on social media platform X on Wednesday night.
“It is a matter of immense joy to see that the cheetahs which had once become extinct from the Asian continent are today gaining speed and increasing their population on the sacred land of Madhya Pradesh,” he added.
The cubs are being released in the wild in Kuno as part of Project Cheetah. Photo: Madhya Pradesh Forest Department
Aasha, a female brought in from Namibia in September 2022, had given birth to three cubs in January 2024. The female, along with her now 13-month-old cubs, has been released in the wild. Dheera, a female that was brought in from South Africa in February 2023, was also released on Wednesday. Two adult males – Agni and Vayu – are already in the wild in Kuno since December last year, after they were released after more than a year of captivity in bomas or enclosures.
“During the chief minister’s visit, he released five cheetahs (female cheetah Dheera along with Aasha and her 3 male cubs) in the wild of Kuno NP. After the release of these 5 cheetahs, total 7 cheetahs are there in the wild now,” Sharma said in the press note.
“The chief minister emphasised the importance of the role of frontline staff in monitoring, patrolling, and maintaining the ecological balance within the park. He also encouraged eco-tourism initiatives, which would not only help in conservation but also generate employment opportunities for local communities,” he added.
Also read: Two More Cheetah Cubs Born in Kuno National Park
Yadav has been very vocal about the tourism opportunities that the cheetahs bring to the state.
“Today, we are feeling happy after releasing the female cheetahs ‘Dheera’ and ‘Asha’ and three cubs in the open jungle of Kuno. The jungle will be populated with these cheetahs and Palpur-Kuno will get a new identity in the tourism sector,” he said on February 5.
Later he also advocated that people come to the park to see the animals.
“The speed of cheetahs has become the new identity of Kuno. You also come to Kuno and enjoy the wonderful and beautiful views of nature,” he said.
On February 4, Union minister Bhupender Yadav and chief minister Yadav had both announced the birth of two more cheetah cubs at Kuno. Their births bring the current tally of cheetahs at Kuno to 26 (14 cubs and 12 adults).
Though there have been reports of the possibility of cheetahs being released in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, Sharma told The Wire that he was “not aware” of any plan to release cheetahs in Gandhi Sagar.
