Tiger Travels: The Big Cat's Unexpected Venture into Cheetah Territory

A tiger from Rajasthan's renowned Ranthambore Tiger Reserve has taken a surprising turn, entering Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The park, primarily known for its cheetah population, was abuzz as a tourist reported the tiger sighting on Wednesday, confirmed by Divisional Forest Officer Thirukural R.

This isn't an isolated incident, as other tigers have made their way to Kuno in the past months. Ranthambore sits merely 70 km from Sheopur, providing a corridor that tigers sometimes traverse. Another official added that the reserve in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, is approximately 100 km from Kuno, making cross-boundary movement plausible.

The tiger, identified as T-2512 from Ranthambore, wandered into a park bustling with cheetahs. Kuno currently hosts 54 cheetahs, including cubs. These efforts are part of an ambitious translocation program aimed at reintroducing cheetahs to India, following their extinction in the country about 70 years ago.

(With inputs from agencies.)