Mp, rajasthan delay cheetah corridor mou as range expands

Wild cheetahs from Kuno National Park crossed the Chambal river and entered Rajasthan, leaving Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan yet to sign a joint cheetah corridor memorandum of understanding. The governments of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan delayed the agreement nearly two years after proposing it, despite cheetahs roaming Rajasthan’s Karauli forests and a recent confrontation between villagers and a tracking team leading to an FIR. Two Kuno males, KGP-3 and KOMG-4, moved through the Karanpur forest range in Karauli district, with KOMG-4 crossing the Chambal near Gota Ghat on October 10. The proposed 17,000 square kilometre corridor links Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary with Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve, spanning eight districts in Madhya Pradesh and seven in Rajasthan. Chief ministers Mohan Yadav and Bhajan Lal Sharma discussed the proposal in 2024, followed by a roadmap drawn up by senior forest officials and Wildlife Institute of India experts. The draft agreement covers joint feasibility studies, habitat assessment, emergency capture under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and National Tiger Conservation Authority protocols. Madhya Pradesh previously put the memorandum on hold to stabilise its population, fearing dispersing animals would not return, and sought amendments.