Kuno National Park: Location, Cheetahs & Biodiversity (UPSC Notes)

Kuno National Park is a protected area in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, best known as the site chosen for Project Cheetah — India's ambitious programme to reintroduce the cheetah seven decades after it was declared extinct in the country in 1952. Spread over approximately 748.76 sq km of core area (with a larger landscape of ~1,235 sq km including the wider Kuno division), Kuno is part of the Vindhyan hills and Chambal basin and is home to a wide variety of wildlife. For UPSC aspirants, Kuno National Park is a frequently tested topic under GS Paper III (Environment & Ecology) and current affairs, linked to Project Cheetah, species reintroduction, and biodiversity conservation.

Where Is Kuno National Park?

• State: Madhya Pradesh
• District: Sheopur (adjoining Morena and Shivpuri)
• Region: Vindhyan range; Chambal basin
• Area: Core ~748.76 sq km; wider Kuno landscape larger when adjoining sanctuaries are counted
• Upgraded to National Park: 2018 (earlier a Wildlife Sanctuary since 1981)
• Nearest rivers: Kuno River (a tributary of the Chambal)
• Nearest cities: Sheopur, Gwalior, Morena

Historical Background

• 1981: Notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary (Palpur-Kuno).
• 1990s onwards: Identified as a potential second home for Asiatic lions to reduce the risk of loss from a single habitat (Gir, Gujarat).
• 2013: Supreme Court ordered translocation of Asiatic lions to Kuno — still pending due to inter-state issues.
• 2018: Upgraded to National Park under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• 2022: Chosen as the first site for Project Cheetah; cheetahs translocated from Namibia and South Africa.

Kuno Landscape and Ecology

Kuno sits in a unique ecological zone:

• Topography: Undulating terrain of the Vindhyan range; rocky outcrops, grasslands, deciduous forests.
• Altitude: 250–500 m above sea level.
• Climate: Tropical; hot summers, cold winters, monsoon from June to September.
• Soil: Shallow rocky, sandy loam.

Vegetation

• Dry deciduous forests dominated by:
• Kardhai (Anogeissus pendula) — signature tree of Kuno.
• Salai (Boswellia serrata), Khair (Acacia catechu), Tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon).
• Ber, Palash (Butea monosperma), Dhak.
• Grasslands — ideal for ungulates and cheetahs.
• Riverine vegetation along the Kuno River.

Fauna

The area also supports gharials and Gangetic dolphins in nearby Chambal.

Project Cheetah: Kuno's Flagship Role

Launch

• Date: 17 September 2022 (PM Narendra Modi's birthday).
• First batch: 8 cheetahs from Namibia — world's first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore.
• Second batch: 12 cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023.

Objectives

• Restore the ecological role of a top predator (apex grassland carnivore).
• Revive degraded grasslands through trophic cascading.
• Establish a founder cheetah population of around 35–40 individuals initially.
• Scientific, cultural, and ecological justice for a species locally extinct since 1952.

Progress and Challenges

• Successful births in India — multiple cheetah cubs born in Kuno, marking the first cheetah births on Indian soil in over 70 years.
• Mortality concerns due to infections (dermatitis linked to thick winter coats), intra-species fights, and adaptation stress.
• Need for larger prey base, expanded habitat, and reduced human pressure.
• Phase 2 extends to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (MP) and potentially to Shahgarh (Rajasthan).

The Asiatic Lion Question

Kuno was originally prepared as a second home for Asiatic lions (listed as Endangered, currently only in Gir, Gujarat):

• Supreme Court's 2013 judgement ordered translocation.
• Gujarat has resisted; relocation still pending.
• Meanwhile, Kuno was repurposed for cheetahs — a choice that has drawn both support (filled an ecological niche) and criticism (diluted lion conservation focus).

Significance of Kuno National Park

• Biodiversity: Protects dry deciduous ecosystems and grasslands.
• Conservation symbolism: First national park to host reintroduced cheetahs.
• Grassland restoration: Project Cheetah promotes grasslands, often ignored vs. forests.
• Corridor value: Links with Shivpuri–Madhav NP and Chambal ecosystem.
• Livelihood opportunities: Eco-tourism, guides, homestays for locals.

Challenges

• Prey density — needs further augmentation.
• Genetic diversity in small founder population.
• Cheetah mortality and veterinary management.
• Human-wildlife conflict at fringes.
• Infrastructure: Cheetahs wandering out of park boundaries.
• Coordination among NTCA, WII, MoEFCC, and state forest department.

Governance Framework

• Managed by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) — technical coordination.
• Wildlife Institute of India (WII) — scientific monitoring.
• Cheetah Task Force — strategic oversight of Project Cheetah.

UPSC Relevance

• Prelims focus: Kuno National Park is in Madhya Pradesh (Sheopur district); upgraded to NP in 2018; sanctuary since 1981; Kuno river (tributary of Chambal); Project Cheetah launched 2022 from Namibia; second batch from South Africa 2023; linked with plan for Asiatic lion translocation; flora — kardhai, salai.
• Mains GS-III angle: Species reintroduction and its ecological, ethical and scientific dimensions; grassland conservation; critique of Project Cheetah; IUCN reintroduction guidelines; Asiatic lion relocation debate.
• Sample PYQ angle: "Examine the scientific, ecological, and socio-political dimensions of Project Cheetah with particular reference to Kuno National Park." — structure the answer using ecological rationale, prey-predator dynamics, translocation history, challenges (mortality, adaptation), and way forward including Gandhi Sagar as second site.