Into the wild: Cheetahs Agni and Vayu can roam free after year in protective enclosures

The cheetahs were brought to the enclosures on August 13, 2023 after three adult cheetahs “died due to septicaemia after wounds beneath their dense winter coat on the back and neck regions became infested with maggots” in July. It was a major setback to the translocation project that began in September 2022.

In August, the Cheetah Project Steering Committee — a panel of experts that monitors and advises the government on the reintroduction of cheetahs — had decided to release the cheetahs into the wild. The committee had stated that the cheetahs would be released in a phased manner, starting with coalitions (a group that lives together), then individual cheetahs and at last, mothers with their cubs.

“The team ensured that all logistical and security measures were in place to facilitate the smooth transition of the Cheetah coalition. They will be monitored by a team constantly,” a wildlife officer said.

There are currently a total of 24 Cheetahs, including 12 cubs, at Kuno.

After the male coalitions are released, wildlife officials will “study their behaviour before the others are set into the wild”, said an official. The wildlife officials would anxiously wait for the results in the coming days as there are also challenges in the form of co-predators, such as leopards who stalk the landscape and the prey base of the chitals. Experts have previously flagged concerns about the cheetahs losing out on much needed experience to tackle wild conditions after spending a year in captivity.

However, wildlife officials are confident that they would survive in the wild after the cheetahs managed to “successfully hunt chitals” during their time inside the enclosure. To fight the septicemia infection, which broke out last year, the veterinarians have already carried out prophylactic vaccination of the cheetahs.

They have now begun preparing for preventive vaccinations for other diseases that may afflict the animals.