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Cheetah Agni, spotted on Sheopur road in viral video, back in forest: Official

Dec 26, 2024 04:29 PM IST

The two male cheetahs, Agni and Vayu, were released into the Palpur forest in Kuno National Park (KNP) on December 4, marking International Cheetah Day

BHOPAL: A cheetah, one of the two released into the wild on December 4, was spotted roaming the streets of Sheopur town in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday evening but is now back in the forest, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The cheetah was spotted again on the streets of Sheopur on Wednesday (@Ajaydubey9/X)
The cheetah was spotted again on the streets of Sheopur on Wednesday (@Ajaydubey9/X)

Two male cheetahs translocated from South Africa in February 2023, Agni and Vayu, were released into the Palpur forest in Kuno National Park (KNP) on December 4.

One of them, Agni, was spotted in and around Sheopur on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to locals. “The cheetah was spotted near the stadium… People panicked and retreated to their homes,” said Yusuf Khan, a resident of Crusher Basti near Veer Savarkar Stadium.

The cheetah was spotted again on the streets of Sheopur on Wednesday, according to a widely circulated video clip that triggered apprehension about its behaviour.

“Having been in captivity for over a year, they may have lost their wild instincts or could be struggling due to a lack of prey. This behaviour is unsafe for the cheetahs and the reintroduction project. Locals reported that the cheetahs killed a dog. Is there a shortage of prey in the area?” asked wildlife activist Ajay Dubey.

A senior National Tiger Conservation Authority official said there was no cause for concern.

“It is important to understand that these two cheetahs are free-ranging now. These animals do not understand or see human boundaries. One of them, Agni was wandering but we are monitoring them all the time. Agni was seen on 24th night around 3am. At that hour, there is nobody on the roads. The cheetah was walking and as far as I understand, the police van shot a video,” the official said.

“Agni is now back in the forest and Vayu who was also released in the wild is very close to its enclosure. These animals are radio-collared and GPS-tagged. So we are completely in know of their whereabouts,” he added.

Also Read: 2 cheetahs released in Kuno National Park’s Aahera tourism zone

The official said Madhya Pradesh’s chief wildlife warden and the police brass have been instructed to ensure that such videos are not shared on social media because they can cause panic. “Cheetahs are harmless. They do not harm or kill humans. So there is no reason to panic,” he added.

According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, cheetahs normally do not get into conflict with humans and are mostly docile.

Officials said the two cheetahs are brothers and were among the 12 translocated from South Africa for Project Cheetah. They were also the ones first moved to the wild in December for tourists in Kuna to spot. However, while Vayu stayed in Kuno, Agni went on a walkabout and was eventually tranquilised in Rajasthan.

Both Vayu and Agni were then moved back to a soft enclosure before being released on Dec 4 again.

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