Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve Set To Become 3rd Home For Cheetahs In Madhya Pradesh

After Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, cheetahs will get their third habitat in Madhya Pradesh at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Sagar district of Bundelkhand region on Wednesday, marking the expansion of the cheetah conservation project.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will release two big cats- a male named Tholo and female CCB-3, brought from Kuno National Park (KNP)- into Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR), an official said.

"On the concluding day of Wildlife Conservation Week, a historic chapter in wildlife conservation is set to be added to Sagar and Bundelkhand with the chief minister releasing two cheetahs into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve on October 7, making it the third habitat for cheetahs in MP," he said.

The VDTR, also known as the Nauradehi Tiger Reserve, is Madhya Pradesh's largest tiger habitat, spanning about 2,339 square kilometres across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts.

Established in 1997, the area was designated a tiger reserve on September 20, 2023, after being integrated with the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, the official said.

The area is home to diverse wildlife species, including tigers, leopards, chital, sambar, nilgai, and bears, and is also important for conserving the endangered Indian vulture species, he said.

Special arrangements have been made on approximately 439 hectares for the protection and adaptation of cheetahs. A secure habitat equipped with modern enclosures (bomas) and other facilities has been created.

The Forest Department has ensured the safety, regular monitoring, and health care of the cheetahs. Additionally, a safe and conducive ecosystem has been developed for other wildlife in the area (VDTR), the official added.

Officials believe that the presence of cheetahs will boost wildlife tourism in Sagar and Bundelkhand, creating new employment opportunities and boosting the local economy.

The arrival of tourists from various parts of the country will benefit the hospitality industry, including operators of hotels, resorts, and homestays, apart from guides, drivers, small businesses, and handicrafts.

Tourism-based economic activities will also gain momentum in the surrounding rural areas, the official said.

The population of cheetahs in the country has risen to 60, including 41 born locally, after an Indian-born cheetah KJP21 gave birth to five cubs in Kuno National Park, CM Yadav said on Monday.

The births mark the beginning of the Botswana lineage in India as the male cheetah was brought from Botswana.

The Cheetah Reintroduction Programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2022, by releasing cheetahs brought from Namibia into Kuno National Park.

"Subsequently, cheetahs were also brought to India from South Africa. This programme is now expanding to other suitable forest areas in Madhya Pradesh," the official said.

He emphasised that the scheduled release of cheetahs in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is an important part of the comprehensive conservation campaign.

"After cheetahs Tholo and CCB-3 are released into Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve on October 7, the population of big cats in KNP will be 54," he added.

The second habitat, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, houses South African male cheetahs Prabhas and Pavak, and female cheetahs Dheera and Radha; the latter was brought from Botswana in September.