Female Cheetah transferred from Kuno to Gandhisagar
Why it matters?
Dheera - female Cheetah, a 7.5-year-old African cat, was relocated to the sanctuary on the third anniversary of the Cheetah Project, a programme to reintroduce the species in the country.
What you should know?
Kuno National Park:
Established in 2018 and is the 2nd largest national park in Madhya Pradesh (MP has 11 national parks in total).
It is not part of the tiger reserve network.
It derives its name from the Kuno River which flows through the Park.
A total of 20 cheetahs were introduced in Kuno National Park (NP), from Namibia and South Africa.
Gandhisagar wildlife sanctuary:
Established in 1981, wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh (MP has 24 wildlife sanctuaries in total).
Chambal River flows through the sanctuary.
Gandhisagar now has three cheetahs, including two males, Prabhas and Pawak
It is a designated Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA).
Asian Cheetah:
Less than 20 individuals left, all in Iran.
Asian cheetah is slightly smaller and slimmer than African cheetah.
IUCN: Critically Endangered
African Cheetah:
More than 6000 remain in the wild.
IUCN: Vulnerable