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3 Years In: Unveiling the Truth About India's Cheetah Project

Three years on, India’s cheetah reintroduction struggles with poor science, delays, and missed grassland goals. In September 2022, the arrival of eight cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park was hailed as a conservation milestone. Five months later in February 2024, 12 more spotted cats arrived from South Africa. The initiative, branded Project Cheetah, carried lofty ambitions. It aimed not just to restore the world’s fastest land animal to India’s landscapes, but to revive open natural ecosystems (ONEs) — the grasslands, scrublands, and savannahs that are among the country’s most neglected habitats. By reintroducing a top predator, policymakers hoped to spark wider conservation attention, diversify India’s wildlife portfolio beyond tigers and forests, and make ecological amends for a human-caused extinction. The Cheetah Action Plan set out a clear roadmap: import 5–10 cheetahs annually for a decade, create a metapopulation across multiple states, secure and restore grassland hab...
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Tiger Checks in a Bandhavgarh Hotel


A luxury resort in Bandhavgarh tiger reserve is hosting an uninvited yet highly sought after guest for the past few days. The guest occupied the sprawling property all alone on May 5 and refused to move out.  Elephants were deployed to vacate the hotel but in vain.

Devours Buffalo and Quenches Thirst from Pool

For the past three days, a 9 year old tiger code named T37 is occupying the hotel.  The tiger is seen moving around in the hotel corridors. T-37 peeped into the cottages locked in the absence of tourists and decided to take rest in a veranda. Located near Dhamokhar range of  the national park, it is one of the costliest properties of Bandhavgarh   where who’s who of India stay during their visit to the park. After the second wave of coronavirus, the tourism activities are stopped in the park. Some time on May 4 or 5, T-37 killed a buffalo  and  dragged it  to the open area of the resort. The tiger was taking his time while consuming the kill. T-37 refused  to vacate the place.  On May 5, the tiger was first spotted by a caretaker of the famous resort and rushed to inform his superiors. They in turn passed on the message to the authorities of the tiger reserve. The park authorities first assumed that the tiger would leave the premises once the kill was consumed. But, a hotel staffer said, the tiger has already devoured the buffalo. He quenched his thirst from the hotel pool.Now scavenger birds were seen hovering over the hotel to perform their job.

Also read: Bandhavgarh Needs to Step-up Efforts to Handle Man- Animal Conflict

About two months ago, this tiger had sustained injuries. The park authorities tranquilised the tiger for nursing the wounds. The animal was placed in an enclosure and was released about 45 days ago. T37 then moved away from his territory and was seen near Dhamokhar range  where  plenty of  cattle were available. On May 2 the tiger killed a buffalo  and since then he has been enjoying the  star facilities of the luxury resort.  The park authorities first thought of tranquilising the animal and bringing  him back to the jungle but then they waited for the kill to be consumed. When the tiger still  showed no signs to move out,  elephants were brought to chase the tiger but he continued to occupy the hotel. The animal  does move out for a while only to return and rest again in the resort.

When a Leopard Leaps in a Lavish Restaurant

In September last year, a video was doing the rounds on social media  showing a leopard in a hotel in Rajasthan. But the video was actually  shot in a South African hotel. It showed a leopard sitting on the balcony outside a room even as a guest records from the other side of the glass in South African resort, the Umganu Lodge. 

Also read: Leopards Need Tiger-Like Protection Programmes in India

The lodge is situated on a reserve that is open to the Kruger National Park and overlooks the amazing Sabie River, that is frequented by plenty of wildlife.The video was first shared by retired England cricket Kevin Pietersen during his stay at the lodge.

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Location: Bandhavgarh National Park, Renj mohala, Dhamokhar, Madhya Pradesh 484661, India

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