Cheetah That Went Untraceable In Kuno National Park Found After 22 Days

A female cheetah from South Africa had gone missing in the Kuno National Park in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.

The search operation lasted for 22 days and ended on Sunday (13 August) when the cheetah, named Nirva, was finally captured in the Dhoret range of the park.

After her capture, a health check-up was conducted on Nirva.

The search for the female cheetah had been intense for the past 22 days since her radio collar stopped working on 21 July.

The Chief Wildlife Warden of the Madhya Pradesh forest department issued a release stating the efforts made to locate the cheetah.

Over 100 field staff, including officers, veterinarians, and cheetah trackers, were involved in the day and night search for the missing cheetah. Multiple teams were deployed in the search operation, including two drone teams, a dog squad, and available elephants. They were searching an area of 15-20 square kilometre.

The local villagers were also informed about Nirva, and any information received from them about the feline was immediately checked and verified.

The satellite provided information about Nirva's location on 11 August evening, which was received on 12 August.

Upon receiving the information, a search team was sent to the spot. With the assistance of a drone team and a dog squad, a team of veterinarians was able to locate Nirva in the evening.

However, they were unable to capture her.

Nirva appeared to be in good health and was actively moving, prompting the decision to resume the search operation on Sunday morning.

Throughout the night, drone teams diligently tracked Nirva's location to ensure a successful capture.

Following the information provided by the drone teams, the search operation recommenced at 4am on Sunday.

It took approximately six hours before Nirva could be safely captured and secured.

Nirva, who is in good health, has been placed inside a boma for further examination. This enclosure will allow for a thorough health check-up to ensure her well-being.

Currently, all 15 cheetahs at the KNP, including seven males, seven females, and one female cub, are being kept in bomas.

These cheetahs are in good health and are under constant monitoring by Kuno's team of veterinarians to ensure their well-being.

Under the Cheetah Reintroduction Project, a total of thirteen cheetahs were introduced to enclosures at the KNP on 17 September last year.

These included five female cheetahs and three male cheetahs from Namibia, as well as an additional twelve cheetahs from South Africa that arrived in February.

In March of this year, a Namibian cheetah named Jwala gave birth to four cubs.

Unfortunately, three of the cubs passed away in May.

Since March, there has been a significant loss in the cheetah population at KNP.

Six adult cheetahs have died due to various reasons, bringing the total death count of felines, including the three cubs, to nine.