Bhopal: Leopardess still wandering in enclosure meant for cheetah at Kuno National Park in Sheopur

Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh): A Leopardess wandering in one of the enclosures prepared for shifting of cheetahs at Kuno National Park is playing hide and seek with the forest team. Interestingly, the big cat has been dodging all tactics of the Kuno staffers to keep it away from the enclosure.

The sources at Kuno National Park said earlier three leopards had sneaked into an empty enclosure before the cheetahs were brought to the national park . The two leopards were ousted from the enclosure, however, the third, a leopardess could not be caught or ousted. The park authorities approached Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for help. Its dean YV Jhala arrived at the national park on Monday to assist the authorities to catch the wandering female leopard.

When contacted, Kuno National Park DFO, Prakash Kumar Verma told Free Press that efforts are underway to oust the female leopard which is wandering in one of the enclosures.

Jhala talking to Free Press said, forest teams are monitoring camera traps, leg traps etc to catch the leopardess.

Notably, eight cheetahs, brought to Kuno National Park from Namibia were initially kept in acclimatization enclosures. Recently, three of the Cheetah were released into big enclosures, the decision to release the rest will be taken by the cheetah Task Force.

Meanwhile, all the three Cheetahs, which have been shifted into big enclosures, are showing good survival skills, they are killing the spotted deer to satiate their hunger. One of the spotted deer fell prey to the cheetahs on Wednesday.