7th cheetah released into wild in MP’s Kuno

“Neerva, a three-and-a-half-year old female cheetah from South Africa, was released into the wild from a larger enclosure at the KNP late on Sunday,” said KNP field director Uttam Kumar Sharma.

Updated on: May 30, 2023, 24:22:50 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

One more cheetah has been successfully released into the wild at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP), nearly eight months after she was brought to India, an official said. She was kept in “hunting enclosures” at the park.

Three of the 20 adult cheetahs translocated from South Africa and Namibia have died at the KNP (PTI)

“Neerva, a three-and-a-half-year old female cheetah from South Africa, was released into the wild from a larger enclosure at the KNP late on Sunday,” said KNP field director Uttam Kumar Sharma.

On September 17 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at KNP, as part of an effort to revive the species’ population in India. Later, 12 cheetahs were brought to the national park from South Africa on February 18 this year. So far, seven cheetahs have been released into the wild, while 10 are still housed in larger enclosures.

Cheetah Jwala, who was translocated from Namibia, gave birth to four cubs at the KNP in March this year. Three of the cubs died earlier this month.

Besides these cubs, three of the 20 adult cheetahs translocated from South Africa and Namibia have died at the KNP. Experts, however, have maintained that “the survival rate of cheetah cubs is very poor in Africa”.

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

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.