Kuno cheetahs to soon be released in the wild

Some more Cheetahs as part of the second phase of Project Cheetah may be introduced from South Africa and Kenya.Cheetahs from Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno national park may be released in the wild soon, the second time an attempt to move the cats out of their so-called soft enclosures will be attempted.“Based on the recommendations of the steering committee for Project Cheetah, the cheetahs will be released in the wild in a phased manner. We will start with two cheetahs first, possibly Vayu and Agni. Their behaviour and health will be monitored carefully before others are released,” said a senior environment ministry official, who asked not to be named.

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The two cheetahs are brothers, and have been together since birth. They are among the 12 translocated from South Africa for Project Cheetah.

Interestingly, 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 Baran, Rajasthan. Both Vayu and Agni were subsequently moved back to a soft enclosure.