These Two Cheetahs Aren't Related — But At Kuno, They Have Become Inseparable, Pg5

Key Highlights:

• Two male cheetahs, KNG23 (born in India) and CCB4 (translocated from Botswana), have formed an unusual coalition in Kuno National Park.
• This coalition is notable because the cheetahs are unrelated and have an age difference of six to seven months, a rare phenomenon for male cheetahs.
• Their bond developed after KNG23 was isolated due to an injury and CCB4 arrived without its siblings.
• This development marks a significant milestone four years after the launch of Project Cheetah in India.

Detailed Insights:

• KNG23, born to cheetah Nirva, was separated from its mother and siblings after sustaining an injury, leading to its isolation.
• CCB4 arrived in India from Botswana in February 2026 as part of the ongoing reintroduction efforts.
• The two young males were initially housed in adjacent enclosures, showing interest in each other before the separating fence was removed.
• Their cooperative behaviors include sharing kills without aggression, following each other, vocalizing when out of sight, and mutual grooming.
• Male cheetah coalitions provide significant advantages, such as improved hunting efficiency, better protection against rivals, and the ability to defend larger territories.
• Project Cheetah was launched on September 17, 2022, at Kuno National Park, aiming to re-establish a free-ranging cheetah population in India.
• The project is currently transitioning from focusing on individual animal survival to enabling India-born cheetahs to establish their own territories.
• Kuno National Park, located in Madhya Pradesh, was selected for the reintroduction due to its suitable dry deciduous forest and grassland ecosystems.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Cheetah Coalition: A social grouping of male cheetahs, typically brothers, but sometimes unrelated individuals, formed for mutual benefits like hunting and territorial defense.
• Project Cheetah: India's ambitious conservation initiative launched in 2022 to reintroduce African cheetahs into the country after their extinction in 1952.