Jaipur: After roaming across Rajasthan for 55 days, cheetah KP-2 was tranquillised and shifted to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park Friday to prevent potential human-animal conflict.The cheetah, an offspring of the African feline Asha, spent 45 days in Baran district before moving to Kota for its final 10 days. The relocation was prompted after the animal began preying on local livestock.A senior forest official explained the urgency for the move. “The cheetah had killed goats on Thursday and cattle earlier after it entered Kota. There was a fear that people may harm the animal, so KP-2 was tranquillised, underwent a health check, and was transported into the Kuno reserve,” he said. The rescue operation was executed at Nimoda Ujaad village. “We planned the rescue from Nimoda Ujaad village after receiving the exact location from the monitoring team tracking KP-2. All officers and staff reached the site, following protocol to tranquillise the cheetah, conduct a health check, and subsequently transport it to Madhya Pradesh,” another senior official stated.Entering Kota district on March 19, KP-2 moved through Itawa, Peepalda Samel, and Sangaheri. The feline covered 30–40 km daily, navigating village outskirts, wheat fields, and areas along the Chambal and Kali Sindh rivers.Officials noted that this long-distance dispersal is a natural territorial behaviour anticipated by the Project Cheetah Action Plan. Marking the fifth time the wild cat has entered Rajasthan, an official said, “The larger Kuno–Gandhi Sagar cheetah landscape spans approximately 17,000 sq km, including 10,500 sq km in Madhya Pradesh and 6,500 sq km in Rajasthan. It covers Baran, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, Kota, Jhalawar, and Chittorgarh districts, and movement is expected.“Meanwhile, KP-2’s brother remains in the state. “KP-2’s brother, KP-3, continues to move in the Mangrol area of Baran district. KP-3 has already been tranquillised once and taken to Kuno, however, it returned to Baran for the second time. It is now moving in a safe zone,” officials added.
