Cheetah Oban captured from Shivpuri
| Date :08-Apr-2023 |
By Ankita Garg
BHOPAL,
The Madhya Pradesh Forest team tranquillised cheetah Oban which has strayed into human habitations and triggered panic among villages near Sheopur and Shivpuri jungles. The cheetah has been captured and brought back to Kuno National Park on Friday morning. Cheetah expert team and veterinary doctor tranquillised the cat in a field on late Thursday evening. Officials said that Oban was moving towards Shivpuri residential areas. Concerned over safety of cat and human beings, forest team decided to capture the cheetah. Other female cheetah ‘Asha’ is still active in Dhourate Sarkar jungle. On April 2, male cheetah Oban sneaked out of Kuno Park. His movement was continuously being recorded towards residential areas of Shivpuri. Forest team tried to drive off the cheetah in Kuno jungle naturally but after several efforts and monitoring, cheetah was moving towards Shivpuri. The team was avoiding tranquillisation as it has adverse effect on cat’s health. Finally, officials took decision to tranquillise the cat.
On April 6, Oban reached in the field of Dabarpura and Rampura under Berad region of Shivpuri. He was sitting under a tree throughout the day. In the evening (around 5 pm), cheetah expert team reached the spot and tranquillised the cheetah with help of a gun. Then team tied a black ribbon on his eyes, gave him oxygen and drip for further translocation to Kuno. He was carried to Kuno Park in a cage by road. Veterinary doctors said that team was avoiding to tranquillise the cheetah to keep him safe from stress. The cat was released in Kuno wild on Friday.
Cheetahs exploring habitat, nothing to worry: Project Tiger head: CHEETAHS released into the wild are exploring their habitat and it’s a very good sign, a senior Environment Ministry official has said after a spotted feline strayed out of Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park recently. Additional Director General of Forests S P Yadav told PTI that such movement of cheetahs is a natural phenomenon and there is nothing to worry about. “Four cheetahs have been released completely. They are free ranging in the wild. Their movement is natural. We are happy that cheetahs are moving and exploring the areas and based on the exploration they identify their suitable habitat,” Yadav, who is also the head of Project Tiger, said in an interview with PTI.
“It is a very good sign that they are exploring other areas. It's a natural phenomenon and there is nothing to worry about. But I must tell you that every cheetah which has been released in Kuno is monitored round the clock,” he said. The senior official said, Government has appointed “Cheetah mitras” to familiarise the local populations with the felines and minimise potential conflicts.