Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve: Level-3 Preparations Under Cheetah Project Underway

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): With the rainy season approaching and the date of cheetah translocation being around the corner, the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve officials are busy giving final touches to the three-level preparations under the Cheetah Project.

The three-level preparations include completion of the enclosure, training of staff and creating awareness among villagers through Cheetah Chaupal.

Reserve Field Director Rajnesh Kumar said that the enclosure was being developed over 439 hectares and 75% of the work had been completed.

Likewise, a target has been set to train 100 staff members to learn how to handle cheetahs. In one batch, 10 staff members are sent to Kuno National Park to undergo training. So far, 50 staff members have been trained. The training is for 10 days.

The awareness work under Cheetah Chaupal is also being undertaken. “We have been asked to complete all preparations before July 30 and efforts are being made in this regard,” Kumar said.

Notably, during the monsoon, cheetahs from Kuno National Park will be shifted to the Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve.

So far, it is not yet known how many cheetahs will be translocated to Sagar. The Reserve officials are also augmenting the prey base for the pastthe past few years.