PREY BASE | Proposal Cleared To Translocate Spotted Deer; Kuno National Park To Get Over 2,000 Cheetal Post-Monsoon

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): To strengthen the prey base for cheetahs, the Kuno National Park is going to seek over 2,000 spotted deer. The officials of Kuno said that the government had cleared the proposal related to translocation of the cheetahs. “We have made the request for translocation of over 2,000 cheetals. They would be received from Pench Tiger Reserve, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve after the monsoon season,” said an officer of Kuno National Park pleading anonymity.

He said it would be for the first time that cheetals would be received from Bandhavgarh tiger reserve. He added that the translocation of cheetals during monsoon season is not easy. First of all, catching cheetals itself remains a big challenge and second, the transportation vehicles may get stuck in muddy terrain.

Hence the translocation would take place only after the monsoon season. Earlier, cheetals were brought to Kuno from Pench and a few other areas of the state. As per the last cheetal census in Kuno, 18 cheetals were found per square kilometre. A total of 350 square kilometre area was covered under the survey.

Notably, the population of cheetahs is flourishing in Kuno and henceforth, they need a good prey base for survival. There are 13 adults and 13 cubs in Kuno.  In box Decision awaited on releasing cheetahs from enclosuers The Kuno National Park officials are still in a fix to release the cheetahs which are in big enclosures. The reason is that the Cheetah Steering Committee is yet to give any directives in this regard. Only two cheetahs are in the open range including Pavan.