Namibian Cheetah Dies at Kuno National Park

• 14 Jul 2025

Why in News? 

An eight-year-old female Namibian cheetah passed away in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP).

Key Points 

• Kuno National Park: 
  • Located in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur and Morena districts, Kuno National Park was originally declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1981, it gained national park status in 2018 due to its ecological importance.  
  • The National Park is named after Kuno River, a major tributary of the Chambal river, and it consists mainly of dry deciduous forests. It is situated in the Vindhya mountain range.   
  • Kuno National Park is the habitat for cheetahs relocated from Namibia and South Africa under Project Cheetah.  
    • As of July 2025, Kuno hosts 26 translocated African cheetahs and 17 India-born cubs. 
  • Fauna:  Leopard, striped hyena, Indian wolf, blackbuck, sambar deer, gharial (Kuno River).   
  • Flora: The primary tree species are Kardhaai, Khair and Salai.

Project Cheetah 

• Phase-1 of the project started in 2022, to restore the population of cheetahs, which were declared extinct in the country in 1952. 
  • It involves the translocation of cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia to Kuno National Park. 
  • The project is implemented by the NTCA in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, and Wildlife Institute of India (WII). 
• Under Phase-2 of the Project India is considering sourcing cheetahs from Kenya due to similar habitats. 
  • Cheetahs will be translocated to Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh).