Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Wildlife experts believe that actual test of survival of eight Namibian cheetahs would be in the wild when they would compete with leopards during hunting.
“Their real test of survival will be in wild,” a retired forest official from Kuno National Park said wishing anonymity. At present, they are eating served meat and drinking water. Only one particular vehicle goes inside their enclosure to serve them meat. The observers also go in same vehicle to change the water.
When contacted, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest JS Chauhan told Free Press that cheetahs came from the place where leopards thrive. “Hence, leopards will not be new adversaries for them,” he added.
According to Chauhan, Kuno National Park will be an advantage for cheetahs as there will be only one competitor for them during hunting - leopards. There will be no lion, hyena, tigers to compete with them during hunting.
He also said that cheetahs were behaving normal. They are in month-long quarantine and have spent over a week in enclosure. They have adapted to their new habitat.
Meanwhile, out of three remaining Namibian wildlife experts, two left Kuno National Park on Monday. Now, only one expert is at Kuno National Park who will stay for about a month.
In the meantime, tight security arrangements have been made around cheetahs’ enclosure. They are being monitored through CCTV cameras, modern equipment, manual patrolling. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released Namibian cheetahs at Kuno National Park on his birthday on September 17.
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