Context:
The NTCA confirmed that cheetahs moving from Kuno National Park to Rajasthan reflects natural territorial behaviour, supporting landscape-level conservation planning.
Key Highlights:
- Conservation Initiative
- Under Project Cheetah, cheetahs translocated from Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana.
- Latest batch: 9 cheetahs from Botswana (Feb 2026).
- Observed Behaviour
- Cheetahs (e.g., KP2, KP3) moved 60–70 km into Rajasthan.
- Considered natural dispersal in search of territory.
- Monitoring Mechanism
- Use of radio collars and satellite tracking.
- Joint monitoring by Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan teams.
- Ecological Significance
- Supports creation of Kuno–Gandhi Sagar wildlife corridor (~17,000 sq. km).
- Reflects metapopulation dynamics.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- Project Cheetah
- Reintroduction initiative (2022) after extinction in 1952.
- NTCA
- Statutory body under MoEFCC.
- Metapopulation
- Interconnected populations across landscapes.
- Kuno National Park
- Located in Madhya Pradesh.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Significance
- Restores lost ecological roles of cheetahs.
- Enhances biodiversity conservation.
- Promotes landscape-level conservation planning.
- Challenges
- High mortality (9 deaths reported).
- Human-wildlife conflict risks.
- Habitat suitability and prey availability.
- Way Forward
- Develop inter-state wildlife corridors.
- Strengthen community participation and compensation mechanisms.
- Improve scientific monitoring and habitat management.
UPSC Relevance:
• GS 3 – Environment (species conservation, biodiversity)
• Prelims – National Parks, NTCA, Project Cheetah