Top 5 Best Sites for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India

The Cheetahs were existed in India and used to roamed all the way from South to North, in eastern Madhya Pradesh and northern Chhattisgarh. Indian cheetahs were kept for hunting chinkara gazelle and blackbucks also sometimes the chital and the nilgai. Image Credit.

Possible Reintroduction Sites

Currently, A wildlife groups of India have suggested few possible reintroduction sites in India such as Shahgarh landscape in Jaisalmer, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Tal Chapar sanctuary, Banni grasslands, Desert National Park and some more potential reintroduction sites for Cheetah in the Indian states of Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu.

Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Kuno National Park protected area in the Sheopur and Morena district of Madhya Pradesh is selected as one of the best suited sanctuary for reintroduction of Cheetah in India. The site supports forest, scrub, dry savanna and grassland, Home to Indian wolf, golden jackal, chinkara, blackbuck and wild boar also it was selected for Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project.

Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary is home to variety of animals and bird species, also proposed forest for the reintroduction of cheetahs in Rajasthan. The sanctuary is located near Bikaner and home to deer, antelope, gazelle, nilgai, chinkara, chital, black buck and wild boar.

Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Gujarat

Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary and Banni Grasslands of Gujarat, Both are a possible site for reintroduction of Cheetah in Gujarat, Also home to listed as one of the last remaining habitats of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) in India.

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary is located near Jabalpur, around 90 km distance and is largest wildlife sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh. The sanctuary has unique forested landscape one of the best suited site for the Cheetah Reintroduction in India.

Velavadar National Park, Gujarat

Blackbuck National Park in Velavadar is a very big grassland ecosystem and home to large herds of antelope, good population of striped hyena and Indian wolf. The fauna of the park mainly includes Indian blackbuck antelope that inhabits grassy plains and slightly forested area.

Re-Introduction of African Cheetah or Asiatic Cheetah

Supreme court of India has allowed the experiment based on best suitable habitat for African Cheetah in India. Earlier the Asiatic cheetah was supposed to be introduce from Iran but Iran wanted an Asiatic lion in exchange for a Asiatic cheetah, hence India is not exploring the introduction of the African cheetah and the Asiatic cheetah.