Kuno National Park – Location, Geography, Flora, Fauna and Cheetah Reintroduction

Establishment of Kuno National Park

Kuno National Park is located in the Sheopur district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It was initially established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1981, spanning across the Sheopur and Morena districts. The objective was to preserve the region’s rich biodiversity and provide protected habitat for wildlife species.

After nearly four decades, the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was upgraded to a national park on 10th December 2018. This transition to Kuno National Park brought enhanced conservation and protection protocols for the flora and fauna under its wider boundaries, now covering 748.7618 square kilometers.

Kuno National Park derives its name from the Kuno river, which bisects the park while flowing through its North-South axis in the Vindhyan foothills ecosystem. The location and terrain variation of park across hills, plateaus and grasslands contributes to the diversity of species inhabiting the Kuno national park.

Kuno National park in India has been in the limelight recently, due to the Cheetah reintroduction intiative. Kuno is one among the 11 National Parks in Madhya Pradesh.

Location of Kuno National Park

Kuno National Park lies in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. Geographically, it is situated amidst the Vindhyan hill range of Central India. The Vindhyas fall within the hilly transitional zone between Malwa plateau and Bundelkhand uplands as per “Structural Evolution of Mainpat Plateau, Surguja District, Central India” by Adil et al. (2013). The park’s location places it in close proximity to the border with the neighboring state of Rajasthan. The nearest town is Sheopur, at a distance of approximately 15 kilometers from the Kuno national park.

The strategic location of Kuno National Park has ecological importance from a landscape connectivity perspective. The park serves as a crucial wildlife corridor, facilitating the transfer of genetic resources across protected habitats of central India as evidenced in “Genetic Evidence of Tiger Population Structure and Migration within an Isolated and Fragmented Landscape in Northwest India” by Reddy et al. (2012). The south-eastern region of Kuno forms patchy connections with Panna Tiger Reserve via Madhav National Park.

Moreover, the Chambal river flows along the park’s North-Western side, connecting it to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve across the river in Rajasthan as analyzed in research paper “Geomorphic Evolution of Chambal River Origin in Madhya Pradesh using Remote Sensing and GIS” by Kaushik and Ghosh (2015). This positions Kuno National Park as a critical protected area for conservation objectives within the broader forested landscapes spanning over 6800 sq km in Madhya Pradesh.

Geography of Kuno National Park

The Kuno National Park lies amidst a transitional geographical zone between the Malwa plateau and Bundelkhand uplands as also stated in research paper “Structural Evolution of Mainpat Plateau, Surguja District, Central India” by Adil et al. (2013). This gives rise to a diverse terrain comprising characteristic features like hills, plateaus, grasslands and meandering river valleys within the park’s expanse.

The park encompasses elevations ranging from a minimum of 238 meters up to 498 meters above mean sea level, resulting in interspersed highland and low-lying areas.

The climate of Kuno National Park consists of extreme hot summers and moderately cold winters due to its location in central India, which experiences a tropical monsoon climate as evidenced by study “Prolonged warming over the last ca. 11,700 cal years from the central Indian Core Monsoon Zone: Pollen evidence and a synoptic overview” by Quamar and Kar (2020). Summer temperatures can peak at 42.3°C on average, while winters can drop to an average low of 6.7°C. The region receives a mean annual rainfall of around 760 mm.

The variations in topology and climate contribute to the ecology and biodiversity value of the park. The landscape encompasses alluvial lowlands with wetter soil and thicker forests, while higher elevations have drier conditions suited for grasslands.

This heterogeneous environment harbors rich wildlife inhabiting their preferred niches, The Central Indian Highlands is a globally important Agro-Ecological Region covering approximately 25 million hectares, supporting about 30% of the total tiger population in India as noted in the landscape approach to conservation in the Central Indian Highlands analyzed in “A landscape approach to conservation and development in the Central Indian Highlands” by DeFries et al. (2016).

Rivers in Kuno

The lifeline of Kuno National Park is the Kuno River, which flows through the entire expanse from south to north also reported in Lancet study by Carreón-Valencia. The river gets its name from its passage through the park and is a major tributary of the larger Chambal River system. Some other key rivers feeding into the Kuno within or around park boundaries include Kudikheda, Lankakhoh, Durredi and Aamkhoh.

The river system shapes much of the landscape and influences the ecology of Kuno National Park. The course of the Kuno River and its tributaries is characterized by heavy forest cover in a meandering pattern along the riparian floodplains. Several seasonal streams and wetlands also dot the Kuno park’s landscape.

This distribution and abundance of water bodies allows various aquatic and amphibious species to thrive within the park. Furthermore, the rivers serve as an important water source for terrestrial wildlife inhabiting the grasslands and forests through which they flow.

The rivers of Kuno thus form a crucial lifeline supporting the park’s biodiversity in this semi-arid region, while also enhancing its scenic beauty for nature lovers and tourists.

Flora of Kuno National Park

Kuno National Park harbors a wide diversity of floral species across various habitat types such as dry deciduous forests, mixed forests, open grasslands and riverine vegetation zones, similar to the habitat diversity supporting rich wildlife populations in Africa’s Serengeti region as documented in “Counting Creatures of the Serengeti, Great and Small” by Morell (1997).

The predominant vegetation consists of dry deciduous cover, with the canopy dominated by trees like teak (Tectona grandis), tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon), dhawada (Anogeissus latifolia), salai (Boswellia serrata), palash (Butea monosperma) and babul (Acacia nilotica).

The grasslands are interspersed with the forests and support grasses including spear grass (Heteropogon contortus), elephant grass (Saccharum ravennae) alongside various herbs.

Kuno National Park also serves as a reserve for many medicinal and aromatic plants of conservation value such as ashwagandha, amla and guggul. The river banks further augment floral diversity with riparian vegetation comprising species like bamboo, kadam and jamun. This varied mix of vegetation zones contributes towards the high ecological significance of Kuno National Park.

Some common flora species found in Kuno National Park:

Fauna of Kuno National Park

Kuno National Park is home to diverse wildlife species ranging across mammals, birds, reptiles and more. Among the mammals documented in Kuno, prominent predators include the leopard, sloth bear, striped hyena, dhole and a transient tiger.

The location of Kuno in central India boosts its conservation value as central Indian Highlands is a globally important Agro-Ecological Region covering approximately 25 million hectares, supporting about 30% of the total tiger population in India as noted in the landscape approach to conservation in the Central Indian Highlands analyzed in “A landscape approach to conservation and development in the Central Indian Highlands” by DeFries et al. (2016).

Sizeable herbivore populations found here include the chital, sambar, nilgai, four-horned antelope, chinkara, blackbuck and wild pig.

The avifauna is also well-represented, with raptors like the Indian eagle-owl, vultures, hawk-eagles and kites spotted hunting smaller birds and rodents.

Waterfowl such as the ruddy shelduck and painted stork are observed frequenting the rivers and seasonal wetlands. Grassland avian species found in Kuno include the painted spurfowl and spotted owlet. Reptiles including the mugger crocodile, gharial, Bengal monitor and turtles inhabit the water bodies.

Major Fauna of Kuno national park is as listed in table below:

Indigenous Communities of Kuno National Park

Kuno National Park and its fringe areas are inhabited by indigenous tribal groups that maintain strong socio-cultural ties to the landscape. The predominant communities living here include the Sahariyas, Gujjars and Yadavs, with the Gujjars being a distinct pastoral community as analyzed in “Demography, Social and Cultural Characteristics of the Gujjars and Bakarwals” by Tufail (2014).

The forests and villages harbor small populations of hunting tribes like Moghiyas and Bhils. These communities pursue livelihoods intrinsically linked to the natural ecosystems surrounding Kuno National Park.

Agriculture, animal husbandry of livestock such as cattle, and gathering non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are the prime economic activities. Supplementing household income and subsistence needs through exploited park resources forms an important component of tribal living and income generation.

Cheetah Reintroduction timeline for Kuno National Park

Cheetah Reintroduction in Kuno National Park – Key Timeline

• 2009: Discussions initiated by Wildlife Trust of India to bring cheetahs back to India.
• 2014: Expert panel shortlisted Kuno-Palpur as potential reintroduction site.
• January 2022: Detailed scientific action plan published by WII and NTCA.
• August 2022: Announcement to translocate African cheetahs to Kuno by Union Environment Minister of India.
• September 17, 2022: Arrival of 8 cheetahs from Namibia in Kuno National Park.
• September 18, 2022: Prime Minister India personally released first cheetahs into the park.
• November 28, 2022: Shift of 2 female cheetahs to enclosure.
• January 2023: Agreement signed with South Africa to provide 12 cheetahs.
• February 2023: Arrival of 12 cheetahs from South Africa in Kuno National Park.
• March 27, 2023: Namibian female cheetah Sasha died due to kidney failure, taking total deaths to 4.
• July 14, 2023: Cheetah named Suraj died in park due to suspected spine injury.
• August 3, 2023: Another unnamed female cheetah died in park due to organ failure.
• January 17, 2024: Shaurya, a cheetah that was translocated from Namibia, passed away at the Kuno National Park.