Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): After Kuno National Park, wildlife lovers will soon be able to see African leopards at Gandhisagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur district, as the state government is preparing it as the second home of cheetahs.
The 64-square-kilometer enclosure being prepared for the leopards is almost ready, and the remaining work is in the final stage.
Meanwhile, Chitals and deer have also started arriving. More than 1400 chital deer will be brought here to feed the leopards.
Forest officer said that 500 deer and chital will come from Kanha National Park. 250 deer and chital are to come from Vanvihar National Park, Bhopal, and 250 deer and chital from Narsinghgarh Sanctuary. More than 400 blackbucks are to be brought here from Shajapur area in the month of March.
In the first batch, 23 chital deer have been brought from Kanha National Park. Currently, they have been released under the supervision of veterinarians in a 90-hectare enclosure built for herbivorous wild animals.
Will bring 500 from Kanha National Park: To increase the number of herbivorous wild animals before settling the cheetahs in Gandhisagar Sanctuary, more than 1400 cheetah-deer are to be shifted from other protected areas so that they can get an adequate amount of food for hunting. On Monday, the first shipment of 23 chital deer arrived from Kanha National Park. Rajesh Mandwalia, SDO of Gandhisagar Sanctuary, said that out of the total 500 chital deer coming from Kanha National Park, 23 have arrived. They have been released under the supervision of a wildlife veterinarian in a 90-hectare enclosure built for herbivorous wild animals.
An enclosure of 8900 hectares is ready at a cost of Rs 17 crores
An enclosure of 8900 hectares with a special high security system and solar-powered electric facing is almost ready for the habitation of leopards at a cost of Rs 17 crore. Other animals, including leopards, will not be able to enter this enclosure.
