Bhopal: After Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar in Neemuch, Nauradehi is set to emerge as a new home for cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh.
“Two cheetahs will be brought from Kuno National Park on October 7 and released into a soft-release enclosure by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav,” the Department of Forest posted this information with reference to a newspaper report.
The move marks the expansion of the state’s cheetah population into the Bundelkhand region.
The Cheetah Steering Committee has approved the relocation of a total of four cheetahs to the Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve (Nauradehi). To begin the process, a male cheetah named Tholo and a female cheetah identified as CCB-3 will be shifted first. CCB-3 is the sister of cheetah Radha, who was earlier released at Gandhi Sagar. Two cheetahs named Tholo (male) and CCB-3 (female) will be shifted from Kuno National Park to the newly completed soft-release boma in Nauradeh.
The Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve, spanning 2,340 square kilometres, is Madhya Pradesh’s largest tiger reserve. Its open forests and tall grasslands provide an ideal habitat for cheetahs. The area also forms part of the catchment of the Narmada, Betwa and Ken river systems. For safety, the animals will initially be housed in a 439-hectare soft-release boma. This enclosure, comparable in size to Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal, is divided into five sections and is equipped with power fencing and 24-hour tracking facilities.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will formally release the two cheetahs into the boma on October 7.
The Forest Department has completed all necessary ground preparations for the arrival and soft release of the animals. Meanwhile, preparations are also underway to relocate cheetahs to the Banni Grasslands in Gujarat, though a release date there has not yet been finalised.
With the first pair arriving in Nauradehi, the reserve will become the third cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
Officials said the reintroduction of cheetahs in Nauradehi will give a fresh impetus to wildlife conservation in the state. The vast grasslands and rich ecosystem of the reserve have been assessed as favourable for the big cats.
The October 7 release is expected to open a new chapter in Madhya Pradesh’s wildlife history, establishing a cheetah presence in the Bundelkhand region.
(IANS)
