Cheetah's Return: An Adventure from Kuno to Rajgarh

A male cheetah was rescued near the border of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan after straying from Kuno National Park. Originally released into the wild in 2025, the cheetah entered a human-dominated area prompting a rescue operation. The cheetah was safely returned to KNP.

A male cheetah, which had strayed from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, was successfully rescued from the border area of Rajgarh district and Jhalawar in Rajasthan on Wednesday. The animal, named KAP13, was initially released into the wild at KNP in February 2025.

Officials noted that the cheetah had entered human-populated areas, raising concerns for the safety of both the big cat and the local community. Consequently, a coordinated rescue operation was conducted, and the cheetah was returned to Kuno National Park.

The reintroduction of cheetahs to India is part of an ambitious conservation program initiated in 2022, bringing cheetahs from Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana to repopulate the species, which became extinct in India during the 1950s.