3rd home for cheetahs coming but there's a challenge: 25 tigers there, Pg9.

Key Highlights:

• Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh is being prepared as the third home for cheetahs in India.
• The sanctuary already houses 25 tigers, creating a unique situation where cheetahs will compete with an apex predator.
• An additional buffer zone of 925 sq km has been added to the sanctuary, coupled with a core zone of 1,414 sq km.
• The ungulate density in Nauradehi is 13.83 animals per sq km, which officials estimate can support 25 cheetahs initially.
• A tender has been floated to construct cheetah enclosures, with the first batch expected to arrive next year.
• Relocation of villages from the core area is underway, with 44 out of 93 villages already relocated.

Detailed Insights:

• Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary is located across the Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts, atop the upper Vindhyan range.
• The sanctuary acts as a corridor connecting Panna Tiger Reserve and Satpura Tiger Reserve, potentially allowing cheetahs to recolonize central India.
• The prey base in Nauradehi includes nilgai (4,788), chital (1,796), and chinkara (1,556), as per the 2020 census.
• The reintroduction of cheetahs in Nauradehi involves building critical infrastructure, including a veterinary care unit and an animal rehabilitation center.
• Challenges include managing forest fires caused by human activities and mitigating disturbances from nearby highways and cities.
• The relocation of approximately 800 families from the core area is estimated to cost Rs 80 crore.
• The sanctuary's potential stepping stone for population expansion could allow cheetahs to recolonize a vast swath of central India.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Apex Predator: A predator residing at the top of a food chain and not preyed upon by any other animal.
• Ungulate Density: The number of hoofed animals per unit area, indicating the availability of prey for predators.
• Buffer Zone: An area surrounding a protected area to minimize external pressures and human-wildlife conflict.