Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): As nine Botswana cheetahs completed the mandatory one-month quarantine period, the process of shifting them to the soft release enclosure commenced at Kuno National Park on Monday.
On Monday, six cheetahs were shifted to the soft release enclosure (SER).
“In the soft release phase, the cheetahs will try to adjust to the new environment and also hone their hunting skills. Two females have been kept in one soft release enclosure, while the remaining four cheetahs have been kept in separate enclosures. The size of each enclosure ranges between 50 and 70 hectares,” said an officer of Kuno National Park.
The officer added that the behaviour of the six Botswana cheetahs released into the SER will be monitored to assess how they are adjusting to the new environment.
If all goes well, the remaining three Botswana cheetahs will be released into the SER one by one at intervals. There is also a plan to shift Botswana cheetahs to Nauradehi Sanctuary in Sagar district and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur.
Sources in Kuno National Park said that before translocating them elsewhere, officials will assess how the cheetahs acclimatise to the summer season. Later, their response to the initial phase of the monsoon season will also be observed. If they adjust well to both seasons, a decision will be taken on shifting them to other locations.
Notably, when the first batch of cheetahs was brought to Kuno from Namibia and South Africa in 2023, some developed diseases due to infections during the monsoon season, and a few died.
