Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A batch of ten cheetals from the Pench Tiger Reserve was recently translocated to the Kuno National Park to increase the prey base for the growing population of cheetahs there.
More cheetals are likely to be shifted to Kuno in the coming days. Cheetahs are predators and hunt cheetals, blue bull, deer etc.
Pench has a thriving population of cheetals, the highest across the state. Confirming the translocation, the Deputy Director of Pench Tiger Reserve, Rajnesh Singh, said in the last few years, around 5,000 cheetals from here have been translocated to different national parks of the state.
Notably, the annual cheetah report had also suggested increasing the prey base at Kuno and the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary which is growing as a second home for cheetahs in the state.
The Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary is also increasing its cheetah prey base with cheetals and other wild animals with its rising population of the big cat there.
In April, two male cheetahs were translocated to the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary from Kuno and in future, two female cheetahs will also be brought here. There is also the possibility of more cheetahs being brought in from Africa.
