Cheetah Project: Two years of roller-coaster ride

The Cheetah Project of Kuno National Park has completed two years, a journey that has been a rollercoaster ride.

Out of 20 adult cheetahs brought from Namibia and South Africa, eight are dead. Out of 17 cubs born in Kuno, five are no more. The remaining 12 cheetahs are inside the enclosures, waiting to be released into the jungle.

When the Cheetah Project rolled out, many thought that Kuno would see a windfall of tourists but that didn't happen. In all 1,459 tourists visited Kuno National Park in 2022-23 followed by 3,172 in 2023-24. The figures show that a few people showed interest. The reason for poor tourist footfall is that cheetahs remained inside enclosures and far away from public view.