Madhya Pradesh to Release Cheetahs into Tiger Reserve for First Coexistence Test
The Madhya Pradesh forest department will move cheetahs from Kuno National Park to Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, creating the first planned cohabitation of cheetahs and tigers in India.
The state’s forest department plans to shift two cheetahs from Kuno National Park to Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR), marking India’s first attempt at cheetah-tiger coexistence. Madhya Pradesh now holds 60 cheetahs, 57 of which were translocated from Namibia, South Africa and Botswana four years ago. VDTR, spanning 2,300 sq km, supports roughly 30 tigers and will become the third cheetah habitat in the state.
Authorities have sought permission from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, and four quarantine units plus five soft-release enclosures have been readied on 439 hectares. Wildlife experts note that historically cheetahs, tigers and leopards shared the landscape, and that cheetahs’ preference for open grasslands may reduce direct conflict with forest-dwelling tigers. The initiative aims to assess whether free-ranging cheetahs can adapt to mixed-carnivore environments without confinement.
