Madhya Pradesh: Escaped Namibian cheetah 'Oban' brought back to Kuno National Park

Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh): 'Oban' - one of the male Namibian cheetahs, who ran away from the Kuno National Park and was heading towards the Uttar Pradesh border, was rescued and brought back, informed the forest officials.

Notably, it has been reported multiple times that the cheetahs flee from the national park towards the village areas of Sheopur.

On Saturday, the Oban went towards the Karaira tehsil, which comes under the Shivpuri district. From there, he was moving towards the Uttar Pradesh border.

But the monitoring team keeps a watch over the movement of the cheetah throughout the 24 hours and keeps on informing the senior officials and experts.

Based on this, the team of experts and officials of the national park, conducted a joint rescue operation. The Oban was tranquillized and brought back to Kuno National Park.

Prakash Kumar Verma, the DFO of Kuno Forest Zoological Division said, "Oban was leaving the Madhav National Park and going towards the Uttar Pradesh border from Karaira. There was no forest where Oban was moving, and he was tranquillized in the Karaira area around 5.30 pm. Now he is being brought back to Kuno".

Earlier on April 7 also, the team of the Forest Department rescued an Oban from the Bairad area of Shivpuri district and brought it to Kuno, which was released in the Palpur area of Kuno.

Then again on April 16, an Oban left Kuno and wandered through the forests of the Bairad area of Shivpuri and reached the Madhav National Park. And since then was residing there only, the officials added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia at Kuno National Park on September 17, last year.

The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952 but 8 cheetahs (5 females and 3 males) were brought from Africa's Namibia as part of 'Project Cheetah' and the government's efforts to revitalise and diversify the country's wildlife and habitat.