Kuno National Park

Kuno National Park In Madhya Pradesh,
India

Kuno National Park, located in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, is one of India’s most significant wildlife reserves, known for its efforts in cheetah reintroduction and its rich biodiversity. Spanning an area of 748 square kilometers, Kuno was originally designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1981 and later upgraded to a national park in 2018.

The park features a diverse landscape of grasslands, riverine forests, and plateaus, making it an ideal habitat for a variety of wildlife species. Historically, Kuno was identified as a potential site for the relocation of Asiatic lions from Gujarat’s Gir National Park, but this plan did not materialize due to legal and ecological challenges.

However, in 2022, Kuno made global headlines with the ambitious Project Cheetah, under which eight African cheetahs from Namibia were introduced to revive the species in India, where it had been declared extinct in 1952. Later, additional cheetahs from South Africa were also brought in as part of this conservation effort. Besides cheetahs, the park is home to a rich variety of wildlife, including leopards, Indian wolves, striped hyenas, sloth bears, nilgai, sambar deer, chinkara (Indian gazelle), and over 200 species of birds.

The Kuno River, which flows through the park, supports a healthy ecosystem, providing water to its diverse flora and fauna. With its growing prominence as a cheetah sanctuary, This attracted national and international attention, making it a key player in India’s wildlife conservation efforts.

The best time to visit Kuno is between October and March, when the weather is pleasant, and wildlife sightings are more frequent. As India’s first dedicated cheetah reserve, Kuno represents a bold step in restoring ecological balance and reviving a lost species, offering wildlife enthusiasts a rare opportunity to witness conservation history in the making.