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    • Kuno cheetahs may be released into the wild after monsoon
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    Kuno cheetahs may be released into the wild after monsoon

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    Kuno cheetahs may be released into the wild after monsoon

    Bhopal: All 13 adult cheetahs in Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district have grown thick winter coats on their backs again, but have so far not suffered from maggot infestation during the current monsoon, thanks to proactive measures taken by the KNP authorities.

    The cheetahs in Kuno come from Africa, where winter is setting in this time. That is why the adult cheetahs in Kuno now have a thick winter coat on their backs, a genetic problem.

    “All adult cheetahs in KNP now have thick winter fur on their backs, which is a genetic problem. But there was no case of maggot infestation among them this time (in monsoon) because of the sanitation measures we took before the monsoon set in,” KNP Field Director Uttam Kumar Sharma told this newspaper on Saturday.

    During the last monsoon, three cheetahs succumbed to a maggot infestation. In Kuno, authorities were forced to move all surviving cheetahs to large enclosures for regular health inspections.

    The rain dampens the fur of the cheetahs, which tend to rub the particular body part with a hard surface to get relief, leading to bleeding wounds in their back. This causes a maggot infestation among them.

    “A special kind of ointment, Anti Ecto Parasite drug, was obtained from South Africa and applied to the cheetahs that have developed thick fur on their backs. This has saved the cheetahs from maggot infestation,” Mr Sharma said.

    There are currently 13 adult cheetahs and 12 cubs in KNP.

    Meanwhile, the remaining 24 big cats, with the exception of Pavan, the male cheetah, have been kept in the large enclosures for almost a year.

    According to sources, no decision has yet been made on when the remaining 24 cheetahs will be released into the wild.

    Only Pavan currently lives in the wild in Kuno.

    “The cheetahs will be released into the wild once they are found to be comfortable,” a senior KNP ranger told this newspaper, asking not to be quoted.

    In a similar development, the Cheetah Conservation Steering Committee met in Delhi on Friday to discuss the cheetah project, sources said.

    According to sources, the committee has decided to release the cheetahs into the wild in a phased manner after the monsoon.

    According to a ranger, all 25 cheetahs in KNP are in good health.

    In September 2022, eight cheetahs were brought to Kuno from Namibia, the first ever intercontinental translocation of carnivores. A few months later, another twelve cheetahs were brought to Kuno from South Africa.

    In the recent period, several cheetahs have died for various reasons and three female cheetahs have given birth to cubs.

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