Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Rain finally arrived in Kuno National Park on the evening of June 14, marking the official onset of monsoon activities.
Showers brought a much-needed relief after a long and harsh summer to both wildlife and forest staff!
With this, Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park has shared adorable glimpses of the big cats residing in the habitat, explaining the methods used to maintain favourable conditions for wildlife animals, especially during the scorching summers.
Summers are troublesome, not only due to the blazing sun, but also due to the scarcity of water. Similar to humans, wild animals - especially the young cubs, need sufficient water to survive extreme heat out in the jungle.
Kuno set-up water lift system
This summer was particularly challenging for 2 special residents of Kuno - cheetahs Veera and Nirva, and their newborn cubs.
Veera gave birth to 2 cubs on February 4, 2025, while Nirva had 5 cubs on April 27. It was the first time the cubs had experienced such extreme heat - a true test of survival at a very young age.
Both mother cheetahs received strong support in raising their cubs during the scorching season.
What measures were taken?
In order to bring respite to those fur-babies and establish a comfortable livelihood in the jungle, water was lifted from the Kuno river using solar-powered pumps in line with the Government’s Green Energy initiative.
The water was then transported through an 8.6 km long pipeline to more than 15 different locations inside the park.
At these locations, water sprinklers and saucers were set up to help create green patches and ensure water availability for wildlife - especially for mothers with cubs.
These water points were regularly used by Veera, Nirva, and their cubs, proving the success of the initiative. Nirva, despite the extreme summer, managed to save 3 of her 5 cubs.
27 out of 29 Cheetah in MP
As of now, India is home to 29 cheetahs - 27 in Kuno (10 adults and 17 cubs), and 2 in Gandhinagar. All cheetahs are reported to be healthy and are enjoying the fresh relief brought by the rains.
With the arrival of monsoon, the landscape of Kuno is expected to turn greener, offering a more comfortable and nourishing environment for these magnificent animals and their young ones.
