Kuno cheetahs cross Chambal river into Rajasthan forests

Two male cheetahs from Madhya Pradesh have crossed the Chambal river and entered the Karanpur range in Rajasthan's Karauli district. Forest officials identified the animals as KGP-3 and KOMG-4 from Kuno National Park. KOMG-4 crossed the Chambal river near Gota Ghat on November 10 and entered Rajasthan through the Maharajpura Naka, moving towards the Kanarda area near the Sawai Madhopur district border. Meanwhile, KGP-3 reached the Karanpur range after moving past Mandrayal. This marks the first time two cheetahs from Kuno have roamed together in the same Rajasthan forest range.

Department Action

Teams from the forest departments of both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are jointly tracking the movement and location of the big cats. Ranthambore National Park Deputy Conservator of Forests Manas Singh and Kuno DFO R. Thirukural confirmed that officials are keeping a close watch on the animals' activities, stopovers, and travel paths. The Chambal river serves as a natural boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and officials note that this crossing highlights natural wildlife dispersal and habitat expansion.

Challenges

The Karanpur range already serves as a natural home for tigers and leopards, raising concerns about potential competition for territory and prey among the three large predators in a single area. Authorities have not yet clarified whether the two cheetahs maintain contact or move separately. This follows earlier instances of Kuno cheetahs entering Rajasthan, including multiple sightings between February 14 and April 16, when cheetahs KP-2 and KP-3 travelled through Baran, Kota, and Sawai Madhopur districts.

Context

Big cats often wander beyond protected boundaries as they grow and look for new territory. When animals move into regions with other large predators like tigers and leopards, forest departments must step up monitoring to protect the wildlife and prevent human-animal conflicts near local villages.