Jaipur: Female cheetah Veera from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park once again entered Rajasthan's Baran district on Monday. This time, she was recorded along with her 15-month-old offspring, KVP-2, in the Banjh Aamli Conservation Reserve in the Kishanganj area.
Following the sighting, the forest department intensified monitoring of the animals' movements. A forest official stated, "Veera and her offspring are currently roaming within the conservation reserve and are safe. Their location is being regularly tracked by teams deployed in the field."
This is not the first time Veera has crossed into Rajasthan. Nearly two years ago, her movement was recorded in the Shahabad region of Baran district. Teams of the Baran forest division, under the direction of Deputy Conservator of Forests Vivekanand Bade, are tracking and monitoring the cheetahs to ensure their safety and prevent human interference.
The department has appealed to villagers and residents in the area not to approach or disturb the animals. People have been advised to immediately inform forest officials if they spot the cheetahs and to follow instructions issued by the department.
Pending MoU Between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh
Despite repeated movement of cheetahs into Rajasthan, a proposed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for a feasibility study on the free movement of cheetahs across the wider Kuno-Gandhi Sagar landscape is yet to be signed. The Kuno-Gandhi Sagar cheetah landscape spans nearly 17,000 square kilometers, including about 10,500 square kilometers in Madhya Pradesh and 6,500 square kilometers in Rajasthan.
It covers districts such as Sheopur, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Morena, Guna, Ashoknagar, Mandsaur, and Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh, and Baran, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, Kota, Jhalawar, and Chittorgarh in Rajasthan. A senior official commented, "Once the MoU is signed, feasibility studies, habitat assessment, and coordinated planning for cheetah conservation across the landscape could begin."
The forest department continues to monitor the situation closely and urges the public to cooperate in ensuring the safety of these magnificent animals.
