Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve Preps For Cheetah Guests With 1,000-Cheetal Feast

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The officials of Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve that spans across Damoh, Sagar, and Narsinghpur district are trying to strengthen the prey base in the area, which has been notified under the Cheetah Project. By monsoon, some cheetahs may be shifted there.

A senior Reserve official told Free Press that more than 1,000 spotted deer (cheetals) were brought from Kanha Tiger Reserve and Pench Tiger Reserve. A demand seeking 1,000 more spotted deer has been sent to state government for approval.

Last summer, 175 blackbucks were translocated from Shajapur to ensure that there is plenty of prey base for cheetahs when they arrive. Meanwhile, a soft release boma spread across 450 hectares is being prepared for cheetahs.

Durgavati Tiger Reserve management has set a target to train 100 forest officials in handling the cheetahs. They are being sent in batches of 10 to Kuno National Park for training.

So far, 20 forest officials have undergone 10-day training. By the end of the summer season, about 100 forest officials will get trained in monitoring and handling cheetahs. Kuno is home to cheetahs brought from South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

The cheetahs to be sent to Durgavati Tiger Reserve will be a mix from all three countries so that a strong gene pool is created there.