Madhya Pradesh: Questions raised over safety of Cheetahs in Kuno, administration issues advisory

Concerns over the safety of cheetahs in Kuno National Park have resurfaced after villagers attacked a female cheetah, Jwala, and her four cubs when they ventured out of the park. The incident occurred in Teliapura village, Veerpur Tehsil, where the cheetah family hunted a cow. The local residents not only threw stones at the cheetahs but also attempted to chase them away with sticks, raising serious concerns about the protection of the animals.

In response, the Sheopur district administration and Kuno National Park authorities have issued an advisory urging residents to remain calm and avoid harming the cheetahs. The advisory reassures that cheetahs do not pose a threat to humans and provides guidelines on what to do if one is spotted.

What to do if a cheetah is spotted:

• Immediately inform the forest department.
• Stay calm, as cheetahs are not dangerous to humans.
• Keep children and livestock indoors.
• Allow the cheetah a safe exit; it will naturally move away from human settlements.
• If a cheetah attacks livestock, make loud noises to scare it away.
• Compensation will be provided if a cheetah kills livestock.

What not to do:

• Do not enter the forest alone.
• Do not attempt to attack or harm the cheetah with sticks or stones.
• Avoid staying alone in fields at night.
• Do not gather a crowd around the animal.
• Never try to capture the cheetah using nets or traps.
• Do not approach the cheetah for photos or videos.
• If a cheetah kills livestock, do not retaliate by harming the animal.

After spending three days outside the park, Jwala and her cubs started making their way back into Kuno’s forested area. However, as of Tuesday evening, they were only traced near the border of Kuno’s core forest and the general forest division.

This is not the first time cheetahs have strayed beyond Kuno’s borders. In the past, released cheetahs have crossed into human settlements and even reached Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, requiring forest officials to tranquillise and relocate them.

The latest incident on Monday, where Jwala and her cubs were surrounded and attacked by villagers, has raised fresh concerns despite the forest department’s continuous tracking efforts. Authorities are now appealing to residents to help ensure the safety of the cheetahs.

Currently, 17 cheetahs, including 11 cubs, roam freely in Kuno’s open forest, while nine remain in enclosed enclosures within the park.

(with inputs from Khemraj Dubey)