Sagar Watch News/ In a landmark step for India’s wildlife conservation, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved a dedicated budget from the Central Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA) for preparations to introduce cheetahs in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, the largest tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh by area.
Spread across Sagar and Damoh districts, the reserve will soon see the construction of four quarantine bomas and one soft-release boma — enclosures used to acclimatize the cheetahs before their release into the wild.
This initiative revives a 15-year-old plan that began when the area was known as Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary. Back then, its Muhli, Singhpur, and Jhapan ranges were identified as ideal habitats for cheetah settlement.
According to forest department sources, Singhpur Range is likely to be finalized as the quarantine site. Once implemented, Veerangana Durgavati will become India’s first tiger reserve to host tigers, leopards, and cheetahs together.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, which serves as the nodal agency for India’s cheetah reintroduction project, had earlier shortlisted two new sites for the species — Bantree Grassland Reserve in Gujarat and Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Officials expect the cheetahs to arrive here by next year.
A field survey for cheetah introduction was first conducted in 2010 under the supervision of NTCA DIG Dr. V.V. Mathur, a senior WII scientist, and Deputy Director Dr. A.A. Ansari. The team had inspected all three ranges — Muhli, Jhapan, and Singhpur — to assess habitat suitability.
Cheetah Expansion to Continue Only in Madhya Pradesh
According to NTCA officials, the next phase of cheetah settlement will not take place in Rajasthan or Gujarat. Instead, the focus will remain on expanding cheetah numbers within Madhya Pradesh.
If new cheetahs are not brought from South Africa, sub-adult cheetahs born at Kuno National Park may be relocated to Nauradehi next year.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Shubhranjan Sen confirmed that Nauradehi had been marked for cheetah habitation from the beginning.
“The permissions were already in place; the budget approval has just come through. Construction of four quarantine bomas, one soft-release boma, and other infrastructure will start shortly,” he said.
Ideal Habitat: Grasslands, Ample Prey, and Minimal Conflict
Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve — with a core area of 1,414 sq km and a buffer of 925 sq km — offers an ideal habitat for cheetahs. The reserve’s open grasslands, expanding after village relocations, provide perfect conditions for cheetahs’ high-speed hunting.
The area supports an abundance of prey, including chinkara, chital, and blackbuck, which ensures adequate food sources and reduces competition with tigers and leopards.
Experts say the risk of conflict is minimal: tigers prefer large prey, while cheetahs typically hunt smaller herbivores.
Once the project is complete, Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve will hold the unique distinction of being India’s first wildlife landscape to host all three major big cats — the tiger, the leopard, and the cheetah — in a single ecosystem.
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