Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The 'Central State of India' expressed pride in its ‘Wildlife’ on Delhi’s Rajpath on the occasion of 76th Republic Day on Sunday.
Madhya Pradesh presented a tableau highlighting the ambitious cheetah reintroduction project in Kuno National Park, Sheopur.
Cheetahs, which had been extinct in India for over seven decades, were reintroduced in Madhya Pradesh to revive their population.
As part of this effort, 20 cheetahs, 8 from Namibia and 12 from South Africa, were relocated to Kuno National Park in Sheopur district in September 2022 and February 2023.
Titled "Cheetah - The Pride of India," the tableau featured over ten cheetah models, including a pair depicted in their natural habitat.
Cheetah Reintroduction Project
The initiative began on September 17, 2022 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a group of cheetahs brought from Namibia into an enclosure at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. Since then, the project has been closely watched by conservationists and experts worldwide.
Kuno houses 12 Cheetahs at present
At present, there are twelve adult cheetahs at Kuno National Park. Recently, Cheetah Agni and Vayu were released to the fields.
Apart from the adult ones, the national park houses twelve more cheetah cubs.
It was before the monsoon season that cheetah Pawan and Veera were released into the wild. At the peak of monsoon season, Cheetah Pawan died due to drowning. Veera, which crossed the boundary of Kuno and reached the villages of Gwalior, was brought back inside the enclosure during the summer season itself.
Glimpses of Kuno National Park
Last year’s tableau
Madhya Pradesh's tableau exhibited the 'self-reliant and progressive’ women of the state. The tableau portrayed the women of all walks of life—from a female pilot to small town women weaving the state's pride with Chanderi and the idol of 'Lahari Bai' leading the Millet Mission for India. All showing how state government schemes helped women achieve financial independence.
