Madhya Pradesh: Translocated cheetah injured in fight at Kuno National Park

Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 28 : A translocated African cheetah was injured in a fight with other cheetahs at the Kuno National Park (KNP) here, an official said on Tuesday.

Agni, the male cheetah, sustained injuries following a skirmish between two groups of cheetahs at Kuno National Park's open forest area on Monday evening, he said, adding the injured cheetah was undergoing treatment and his condition has improved.

Notably, six cheetahs, including three of the four cubs born in the park, have died since March, raising fingers at the KNP's management and administration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the eight cheetahs (5 females and 3 males) brought from Namibia at Kuno National Park on the occasion of his birthday on September 17, last year, as part of an effort to revive the extinct cheetahs in India. Another 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa in February this year.

The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952.

Under the ambitious Project Cheetah of the Indian government, the reintroduction of wild species particularly cheetahs was undertaken according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.

India has a long history of wildlife conservation. One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures 'Project Tiger', which was initiated way back in 1972, has not only contributed to the conservation of tigers but also to the entire ecosystem.