Third male cheetah released into acclimatisation enclosure in Kuno National Park

Five female cheetahs will be released in the larger enclosure but only after the relocation of the leopard from one of the inner enclosures

Published on: Nov 19, 2022, 15:38:20 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Days after two brother cheetahs, Freddie and Elton were released into a larger enclosure, under stage 2 of the acclimatisation plan of the wild cats, a third male cheetah named Oban was released in the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh on Friday, a senior forest official said.

On November 5, Elton and Freddie, after spending 50 days in quarantine, were released (Twitter Photo)

Oban was released in a soft-release enclosure of 6 sq km and entered the bigger enclosure through a pathway developed between the two BOMAs (enclosures) for stress-free release, officials said.

Oban spent 63 days in quarantine and was released after Cheetah Task Force (CTF) found him fit for the wilderness. A Cheetah Task Force was formed by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the management of cheetahs in KNP.

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On November 5, Elton and Freddie, after spending 50 days in quarantine, were released in Kuno National Park.

“The cheetahs are adapting to the new home very well. We are enthralled and happy with the progress of cheetahs in Kuno. Elton and Freddie are killing prey and enjoying the bigger enclosure without any stress. Now, Oban has been released. We are checking the progress of cheetahs with the help of high-resolution cameras,” MP principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) JS Chauhan said.

Moreover, five female cheetahs will be released in the larger enclosure but only after the relocation of the leopard from one of the inner enclosures, a forest official said.

Sheopur divisional forest officer Prakash Verma said, “A team of leopard experts have been called to relocate the leopard as the animal has been dodging the forest officials for the past four months.”

Eight cheetahs - five females and three males - who were brought from Namibia arrived in India on September 17 as part of the programme to reintroduce the feline in India on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 72nd birthday.

The cheetahs from Namibia were translocated at Kuno National Park.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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