Kuno National Park cheetahs tranquilized 110 times in two years

Cheetahs in India's Kuno National Park were tranquilized 110 times between 2022 and 2024 ^[1], according to internal inspection reports ^[2].

These figures highlight the significant management challenges facing Project Cheetah. Frequent sedation suggests a struggle to keep the reintroduced cats within park boundaries and maintain their health in a new environment.

The reports indicate that the sedatives were administered for three primary reasons: general animal management, necessary medical interventions, and efforts to prevent the cheetahs from straying into human-occupied areas ^[2]. This high frequency of tranquilization reflects the volatility of the animals' adaptation process in Madhya Pradesh.

Monitoring efforts have tracked several specific animals, including individuals KP-2, KP-3, and KAP12 ^[1]. Some of these cheetahs have repeatedly crossed borders into neighboring regions. In one instance, the cheetah known as KP-2 spent more than three weeks in Rajasthan's Ranthambore area ^[3] before being tranquilized and returned to the park.

Wildlife officials said they used these interventions to ensure the animals do not enter areas where they could pose a risk to humans or be injured by livestock and vehicles. The movement of cheetahs into Rajasthan has necessitated cross-border rescue operations to shift the animals back to their designated habitat ^[1].

The data from the first two years of the project underscores the intensive human intervention required to sustain the population. While the project aims for a self-sustaining wild population, the reliance on chemical restraint for movement control remains a critical operational hurdle ^[2].