Three and a half years after eight cheetahs from Namibia first touched down at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, India now has 50 of them. Of the 45 cubs born at Kuno since 2022, 33 have survived — a figure that has surprised even cautious observers. Twelve cheetahs currently roam free inside the park; 23 cubs remain in enclosures with their six mothers; and nine are under veterinary monitoring.

The population milestone has prompted a logistical challenge that wildlife managers have been anticipating for some time: Kuno is getting full. The park was originally assessed to support around 21 cheetahs in free-ranging conditions. With the number well past that, authorities are now making final preparations to shift four animals — two males and two females — to Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (now officially the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve) in June, ahead of the monsoon. The move will require completion of vaccination protocols and approval from the Cheetah Steering Committee.

Nauradehi is a different proposition from Kuno. It is Madhya Pradesh’s largest wildlife sanctuary, spanning roughly 1,200 square kilometres — but it already has tigers, leopards, wolves, and wild dogs. It is the first site in India where cheetahs will have to share territory with apex predators, a challenge that has divided wildlife ecologists. Some see it as a manageable expansion of the cheetah’s range; others warn that the woodland habitat and high predator density makes it sub-optimal at best. The coming months will provide the first real evidence.

Today also marks the third anniversary of the International Big Cat Alliance, launched by Prime Minister Modi on 9 April 2023 during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger. The IBCA now has 18 formal member countries and India is preparing to host the first Global Big Cats Summit in New Delhi later this year.

Sources: Indian Masterminds, Swarajya

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