State PCS - Madhya Pradesh (MP PCS)

• 10 Mar 2026

Inter-State Cheetah Movement from Kuno to Rajasthan

Why in News? 

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has stated that the movement of two cheetahs from Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh) to the Baran district of Rajasthan represents natural territorial behaviour and underlines the importance of establishing an interstate wildlife corridor for cheetahs. 

Key Points: 

• Movement: Two cheetahs named KP‑2 and KP‑3 were tracked moving from Kuno National Park into the Mangrol range of Baran and Banjh Amli Conservation Reserve in Rajasthan after travelling about 60–70 km.  
  • The NTCA described their dispersal across landscape boundaries as natural territorial behaviour, anticipated under the Project Cheetah Action Plan. 
• Monitoring and Coordination: Both cheetahs are being monitored 24×7 with GPS and radio collars, with joint field teams from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan deployed for monitoring and coordination. 
• Inter‑State Corridor: The movement supports the need for a planned 17,000 sq km Kuno‑Gandhi‑Sagar inter‑state wildlife corridor spanning seven districts in Rajasthan and eight in Madhya Pradesh to facilitate safe movement and genetic exchange among cheetah populations. 
  • Project Cheetah is the Indian government’s initiative to reintroduce the cheetah — extinct in India since 1952 — to suitable habitats, bringing individuals from Africa to Kuno National Park to establish a viable population. 
• Human-Wildlife Safety: Inter-state monitoring helps minimize human-cheetah conflicts and ensures animal safety. 
• Ecological Impact: Helps maintain predator-prey balance and strengthens ecosystem restoration in MP and Rajasthan. 
  • Reinforces need for planned wildlife corridors, part of India’s broader wildlife conservation and restoration efforts. 

Read More: Kuno National Park,  NTCA, Project Cheetah, Gandhi‑Sagar