Two male cheetahs released in wild at Kuno National Park

Sheopur (MP), Dec 4 (PTI) Cheetahs Vayu and Agni were on Wednesday released in the wild in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park to mark International Cheetah Day, an official said.

The presence of cheetahs in a tourism zone could offer a unique opportunity for visitors to spot these majestic animals during safari trips, he added.

"On the occasion of International Cheetah Day, two male Cheetahs, Agni and Vayu, were successfully released in Parond forest area of KNP. Both cheetahs are healthy," Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) and Director Lion Project, Uttarm Kumar Sharma, stated in a release.

Since the Parond area falls under the Ahera tourism zone, tourists can observe cheetahs during safari visits, he said.

Currently, KNP in Sheopur district is home to 24 cheetahs including 12 cubs. The cheetahs were previously housed in enclosures.

The release of Agni and Vayu is part of efforts to reintroduce the species in India, where they were declared extinct seven decades ago due to hunting and habitat loss.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2022, released eight Namibian cheetahs - five females and three males - into enclosures at the KNP as part of the world's first intercontinental translocation of the big cats.

In February 2023, a dozen more cheetahs from South Africa were translocated to KNP as part of the Central government's project to reintroduce the big cats in the country. PTI ADU NSK