Tiger from Rajasthan Enters Cheetah Territory in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno

A tiger from Rajasthan’s Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) has entered the cheetah landscape of Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Thursday.

The big cat was reportedly sighted by a tourist inside the park on Wednesday, Divisional Forest Officer Thirukural R said.

Officials said this is not the first instance of a tiger straying into the Kuno landscape. “A tiger had been seen here a couple of months ago as well,” the official added, noting that Ranthambore, located in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur district, lies around 70–100 km from Sheopur , depending on the route, making it part of a shared wildlife corridor between the two states.

The tiger has been identified as T-2512 from RTR , according to forest sources.

Kuno National Park currently hosts 54 cheetahs, including cubs , as part of India’s ongoing cheetah reintroduction programme. The first batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia arrived in September 2022 , followed by 12 from South Africa in February 2023 , and a third batch of nine from Botswana in February this year . At present, India has a total of 57 cheetahs , including those relocated to other sites from Kuno.

Officials said three cheetahs have been shifted to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary , while the rest continue to remain at Kuno. The relocation strategy is aimed at reducing disease risk and improving management of the population , they added.

The movement of a tiger into the cheetah habitat highlights the interconnected wildlife corridor in central India, where large carnivores often traverse between protected landscapes.