Wildlife hospital starts on second anniversary of cheetah reintroduction

A wildlife hospital was inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of the arrival of cheetahs at the Kuno National Park (KNP) as part of an ambitious reintroduction program.

State Forest Minister Ramniwas Rawat inaugurated the hospital for cheetahs in Palpur area, constructed at a cost of Rs 2.29 crore.

That 12 cheetah cubs were born on Indian soil over the last two years testifies to the project's success, claimed the minister, speaking at the function at Sesaipura village.

However, the project has also seen setbacks with eight adult cheetahs and five cubs dying during the same period. All surviving cheetahs are currently in enclosures.

The Indian government is aiming to revive the cheetah population in the country after the species, the fastest land animal, became extinct in the wild decades ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his birthday on September 17, 2022, released eight cheetahs imported from Namibia -- five females and three males -- into enclosures at KNP. In February 2023, another 12 cheetahs were translocated to the Park from South Africa.

The newly-built hospital has facilities including an operation theatre, a digital microscope and sonography equipment, among others, officials said. Speaking at the function, minister Rawat said the project has given global recognition to Sheopur district, and attributed its success to the KNP employees and local people. 'Cheetah Mitra', a group of volunteers who create awareness about the project, are playing an important role, he said, after felicitating a few volunteers and chatting with them. Rawat also released the annual report of the project and a documentary on the cheetahs. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests V N Ambade said the area of KNP has been expanded to 1,777 sq km from the earlier 1,235 sq km.