Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh) : Out of eight Namibian Cheetahs, as many as five Namibian Cheetahs will be released into the wild of Kuno National Park (Sheopur) next week. The Cheetahs will be released in a phased manner and not altogether. The decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the Cheetah Task Force held recently.
Though, the date to release the big cats into the wild is yet to be decided.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wild Life, JS Chauhan told Free Press that in due course, five Namibian Cheetahs would be released into the wild in a staggered manner. All the necessary arrangements have been done in this regard.
Forest officials of Kuno National Park said that releasing cheetah’s one by one will be helpful in studying their behavior in the wild, besides their monitoring will be easier.
The Namibian Cheetahs, currently staying in the big enclosure, have honed up their hunting skills and have been seen killing the spotted deer.
Notably, eight Cheetahs were brought from Namibia to Kuno National Park on the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year. PM himself had released one of them into the quarantine enclosure by lifting the gate of the box.
When the 12 additional cheetahs were brought to Kuno National Park from South Africa on February 18, Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah had asserted that Namibian Cheetahs would be released into the wild in February itself.
Cheetah sneaks into adjoining enclosure: Giving a harrowing time to officials of Kuno National Park, one of the Namibian Cheetahs sneaked into the adjoining enclosure which was vacant. The Cheetah used the loose net to enter into the adjacent enclosure. The officials had to use vehicle lights to compel the big cat to return to its enclosure. Much to the relief of the officials, the Cheetah returned to its enclosure. The situation would have turned grave had the bid cat sprinted out into the open. One forest officer of Kuno National Park confirmed the incident.
