BHOPAL: The residents of Karhal town in Madhya Pradesh are holding special prayers for the remaining African cheetahs in Kuno National Park (KNP).
The death of six cheetahs, including three cubs within a span of two months at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP) has prompted this move as the residents consider the cheetah's well-being their future prosperity and development.
The Manshapoorna Hanuman Temple in Karahal town (15 km from the KNP and 50 km from the Sheopur district HQ) is resonating with special prayers for the safety of cheetahs since Thursday evening.
An Akhand Jyoti has been lit-up, and round-the-clock keertans and bhajans, as well as a special Sunder Kand path, have been started at the temple for the safety of the cheetahs.
“The doctors are doing their job at the KNP to save the life of the last of the four cheetah cubs that were born at the park in March last week. But along with dava (medicine) dua (prayers to god) too are necessary for the safety of the cheetahs,” Karahal resident Giriraj Paliwal, who is also the panchayat secretary of neighbouring Ranipura village told the TNIE on Friday.
Paliwal, who is also one of Cheetah Mitras (volunteers appointed to promote the protection of cheetahs among natives of the area) said, “Not only will the special prayers continue at the temple in Karahal but we hope that residents in adjoining villages too start similar prayers for the safety of the cheetahs.”
“The people residing in this backward Karahal block of MP hope that cheetah tourism will bring prosperity to the lives of local people. Lands that were once priced at Rs One Lakh have since then seen their value zoom by five to ten times. In many villages close to the KNP, almost 60% of the lands are sold now to those planning to develop resorts and hotels to cash on the Cheetah Tourism whenever it starts. We hope cheetah tourism will render our jobless youths many jobs, particularly that of tour guides and also lead to the overall development of the small Karahal town, which is 15 km from KNP. But for that to happen, the cheetahs need to be safe and healthy.”
The KNP has witnessed six cheetah deaths in the last 60 days, including three Namibian and South African adults and three out of the four cubs born to a Namibian cheetah Siyaya aka Jwala in March. The fourth cub is stated to be critical at KNP Hospital.
As part of PM Narendra Modi’s ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction Project into Indian wilds – seven decades after the fastest moving animal on earth was declared extinct in India – eight Namibian cheetahs were released into the KNP on September 17, 2022 (PM’s 72nd birthday) and 12 South African cheetahs were released into the same park on February 18, 2023. But out of the 20 Namibian and SA cheetahs, now only 17 adults and one cub (which is stated critical) are alive.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has constituted a Cheetah Project Steering Committee headed by Dr Rajesh Gopal, the secretary general of Global Tiger Forum, New Delhi. The 11-member panel, which will also have on board four wildlife and veterinary experts from Namibia and South Africa as consultants, will review the progress, and monitor and advise on the reintroduction to the MP Forest Department and the NTCA. It will also work on opening the Cheetah habitat for eco-tourism and suggest related regulations, besides suggesting on local community interface and their involvement in the project’s activities.
