Kuno Nearing Self-Sustaining Cheetah Population: Officials

A projection based on the growth of cheetah population in the KNP, where the big cat species was introduced four years ago, has suggested that the national park is heading for achieving this major milestone in the ‘Project Cheetah’, if the current robust conservation in Kuno is an indication.

“Kuno is moving towards establishing a self-sustaining cheetah population following pro-active conservation management. The national park may not depend on other countries in the future to merely increase their number”, Uttam Kumar Sharm, Director, Project Cheetah, told this newspaper on Sunday.

It may take another five to six years for Kuno to establish a self-sustaining cheetah population, he projected.

But relocation of cheetahs to Kuno from other habitats may be needed only for the purpose of improving genetic diversity, he added.

Cheetahs from three African nations were translocated to Kuno under the cheetah introduction project.

The self-sustaining population of a species is achieved in a habitat when breeding happens and a healthy rate of survival of cubs is maintained.

The cheetah population has grown almost more than two-fold in Kuno since the introduction of the wild cats four years ago.

The latest Newsletter released by the KNP narrated how cheetahs in Kuno are exhibiting their natural traits, indicating that they have fully adapted to their new home.

“Cheetahs are increasingly expressing their natural behaviours in the wild, including hunting, exploring the landscape, establishing territories, forming coalitions and breeding naturally”, the Newsletter describes.

They actively defend their territories, while females exhibit natural patterns of movement, moving into and out of established territories.

Indian-born females are now reproducing, with successive generations being born on Indian soil.

“The (cheetah) programme is thus progressing beyond the successful establishment of individual animals towards the emergence of a self-sustaining, functionally established wild population”, Mr. Sharma said.

Of the 59 cheetahs currently in India- 53 are in the KNP, four at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary and two at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in MP- 40 are born on Indian soil.

The most important component of this population is the number of breeding females.

At present Kuno has 12 female cheetahs aged two years or older.

During 2026, five of these females have cubs, while the remaining seven are potentially eligible for breeding.

The reproduction base is expected to expand.

Cheetahs at Kuno have produced 58 cubs in 14 litters, of which 40 have survived, representing an overall survival rate of approximately 69 percent, or an average of nearly three surviving cubs per litter.

“Starting from the present population of 53 in Kuno, a population approaching 80 by end of 2027 is plausible”, Mr. Sharma assesses.

The potential population growth extends beyond 2027.

As Indian-born females mature and enter the reproductive population, Kuno could have a substantially larger pool of breeding females during 2028-29, potentially approaching 30, he projects.