Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Cheetah Project will complete two years on September 17. This year has been a challenging year for the project officials as, despite all kinds of preparations, all adult cheetahs could not be released into the wild so far. Moreover, the project suffered setbacks in the form of the deaths of two adult cheetahs, including Pawan and Shaurya. Now, the officials are looking forward to the release of cheetahs into the open jungle during the winter season.
Cheetah ‘Pawan’ was like a free flow of wind and used to roam in new areas. Pawan was the future hope for the project, and his survival in the wild could have prompted the authorities to release more adult cheetahs into the wild. However, his death due to alleged drowning in August was a setback to the plan of releasing additional cheetahs into the open jungle. Earlier, in January, Shaurya, another cheetah, died due to weakness.
In the meantime, the birth of thirteen cubs brought a new sense of hope to the cheetah project, leaving everyone elated. In March, the project received a big boost when ‘Gamini’ gave birth to six cheetah cubs, although two later died. ‘Asha’ littered three cubs, while four cubs were born to ‘Jwala’ in January.
Now, the officials at Kuno National Park are looking forward to pushing the project ahead. However, there is still confusion over whether the Cheetah Steering Committee will approve the release of the remaining adult cheetahs into the wild in the upcoming winter season.
As of now, there are twelve adult cheetahs and twelve cubs inside the enclosures. Notably, twenty adult cheetahs were brought from South Africa and Namibia and released into Kuno two years ago. Of them, eight adult cheetahs have died so far.
Cheetahs experience first rains in Kuno
The recent incessant rains posed a huge challenge for the authorities of Kuno National Park, who were worried about the safety of the cheetahs kept inside enclosures. The seasonal nullah passing through the enclosure was a major concern. The authorities kept a close watch on the swelling nullah and worked to ensure it did not become clogged with uprooted grass and other forest debris. A dedicated team was deployed, even in adverse weather, to remove waste from the nullah daily to prevent water from spreading into a wider area within the enclosures.
This was the first time that the cheetahs have experienced such intense rainfall, which will help them face future rain-related challenges more effectively.
