Will Eight Cheetahs from Botswana Arrive in MP on January 26?
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Khajuraho, December 9 (NationPress) The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, has given the green light for the relocation of certain cheetahs from Kuno National Park (KNP) to Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, as announced by government officials.
This important initiative comes just weeks before a new group of cheetahs from Botswana is scheduled to arrive in Madhya Pradesh, where they will undergo a quarantine period at KNP.
"A total of eight cheetahs from Botswana will be landing in Madhya Pradesh on January 26," stated Dilip Ahirwar, the Forest and Environment Minister, during a press briefing following the Cabinet meeting in Khajuraho.
Joining him were CM Yadav and V.D. Sharma, the former State BJP Chief and Khajuraho MP, who also participated in the conference. Minister Ahirwar confirmed, "The Cabinet has approved the proposal to shift some cheetahs from Kuno National Park to Nauradehi."
With this decision, Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary—located in the Bundelkhand region and recently renamed in honor of Veerangana Rani Durgavati—will become the third habitat for cheetahs in the state, following Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
The cheetah reintroduction initiative commenced at Kuno National Park with the relocation of eight cheetahs from Namibia on September 17, 2022, followed by the arrival of twelve cheetahs from South Africa on February 18, 2023.
In total, twenty cheetahs were released in two batches at Kuno National Park. Despite the unfortunate loss of nine adults so far, the cheetah population has risen to 31, which now includes five newborn cubs.
Sadly, two additional cubs have died in the last three days.
On April 20 of this year, two male South African cheetahs, Pavak and Prabhas, found their new home at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh after being moved from Kuno.