A male cheetah wandered out of Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park on Saturday and was later found in a village in Rajasthan’s Karauli district, according to forest officials. This is the second such incident in four months, raising concerns about the big cats’ movements.

The cheetah travelled around 50 kilometres through Sheopur and Sabalgarh districts before reaching Simara village. Some forest officials suggest both Madhya Pradesh districts and Simara village border the Chambal River, which may have guided the cheetah’s path. 

Forest officials from both states collaborated to safely rescue the animal.  “Maintaining law and order was a major challenge,” said Uttam K Sharma, an IFS officer spoken to by Indian Masterminds. “The Rajasthan Police provided excellent support, and the villagers themselves remained cooperative, observing the situation from a distance without disturbing us or the cheetah,” he added.

This incident highlights the challenges of managing a free-ranging cheetah population.  “Cheetahs are naturally inclined to roam,” explained Mr. Sharma. “While we continuously monitor their movements, we only intervene when the safety of the cheetah or nearby communities is at risk.”

Mr. Sharma emphasized the importance of the cheetahs remaining within a reasonable distance of each other for breeding purposes. “A solitary cheetah, hundreds of kilometres away from others, has limited ecological value,” he said. “Our long-term goal is a self-sustaining population, and that requires them to be close enough to breed.”

Forest officials will continue to monitor the cheetahs and may intervene in the future to ensure their well-being and the success of the reintroduction program.