Cheetah from Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park roams Sheopur streets, triggers panic among locals

A video showing the cheetah wandering the streets has gone viral, sparking safety concerns.

Cheetah from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park roams Sheopur streets

A cheetah from Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh – Vayu – has caused alarm after being spotted roaming the streets of Sheopur. A night-time video of the big cat walking down an empty road has gone viral, amplifying unease among local residents.

Vayu, one of two male cheetahs brought from South Africa in February 2023, was released into the wild at Kuno’s Palpur forest on December 4. Over the past few days, locals reported sightings of Vayu in various parts of Sheopur, including near schools and residential areas. The cheetah attacked a stray dog, as captured in a video shared by Brut India.

However, Uttam Sharma, chief conservator of forest, confirmed that Vayu has now moved out of Sheopur city. “We cannot disclose the cheetah’s location, but he is no longer in Sheopur city,” Sharma told The Print. Forest officials are closely monitoring the cheetah to ensure public safety.

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A widely shared video on Instagram shows the cheetah in Sheopur. The caption of the video said, “After its release into the wild, a cheetah was seen roaming around in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh.”

Watch the video:

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A post shared by Brut India (@brut.india)

The video states that cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952 but were reintroduced in 2022 as part of a conservation initiative. To date, 20 cheetahs have been brought to Kuno from Namibia and South Africa, aiming to revive the species in India.

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