BHOPAL: Some cheetahs currently housed in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) will be shifted to new habitats in the coming months.
Chief Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh Jasveer Singh Chauhan in a note to Additional Chief Secretary of Forest Department JS Consotia has demanded an immediate relocation of Cheetahs citing the lack of space as the populace may increase over time.
Citing the lack of space, Chauahan stressed on an alternative habitat underscoring the spread of epidemics in the upcoming generations of the felines.
He has also witten that the issue be escalated to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Forest Minister Vijay Shah and Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh for immediate attention.
Further deliberations would be held at the Cheetah Task Force on Thursday.
According to forest officials Mukundra Hills National Park in Rajasthan is the only place where cheetahs can be shifted immediately. Reports also reveal cheetah experts have also recommended MHTR as the best possible site for cheetahs, as it was also included in the risk management plan.
This is not the first time the MP Forest Officials have raised a concern about an alternative habitat. The Madhya Pradesh Forest and Wildlife Department had written to the centre claiming that KNP spread over 748 sq km, can accommodate a maximum of 21 cheetahs at once. However, this number must be reduced to provide a larger area for each cheetah to roam in and ensure their safety.
“It will be a risk to keep all the cheetahs in one place, and therefore, I have requested the Centre to find an alternative place to shift some of them,” J. S. Chouhan told reporters. The request followed the death of Cheetah Uday.