KUNO NATIONAL PARK
1.Context
Wildlife officials in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National park are ecstatic about the birth of seven cheetah cubs in January this year.
Four cubs were born to the Namibian Cheetah Jwala and three to Asha. The seven newborns, and another 10-month-old female born to Jwala, are the future of Project Cheetah, an ambitious venture to re-introduce Cheetahs to India. After seven adult cheetahs and three cubs died last year, the births have raised hopes that the cheetahs may be acclimating to Indian conditions
2.Background
Kuno National Park is a national park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, India. It derives its name from Kuno River
It was established in 1981 as a wildlife sanctuary with an initial area of 344.686 km² in the Sheopur and Morena districts. In 2018, it was given the status of a national park
This area which has become a National Park today started out as a sanctuary of about 350 sq. kms. And was in shape of a leaf with Kuno river forming the main centre spine. This river not only helps in keeping a constant water supply in the area and irrigating the forest from inside out but also gave this protected area its name
3.History of Kuno National Park
- Kuno National Park / Kuno Wildlife Division and the surrounding area has historically been rich with wildlife.This area was known to be a dense forest in ancient times as well
- One of the gazette of Gwalior princely state of year 1902, records that the Mughal Emperor Akbar while returning from Malwa region captured a big herd of elephants in the forests near Shivpuri in the year 1564
- Abul fazal also mentioned this fact that Lions were found in this region and the last Lion in this region is known to be shot near to city of Guna in the year 1872.
- In the year 1904 Lord Curzon was invited for hunting by the then His Highness Madhavrao Scindia,the Ist, King of Gwalior
- Lord Curzon was so much impressed with the forest of valley of Kuno that he immediately suggested the King to bring Lions from Junaghad, Gir and released in the forest
- King Scindia started working on it with the audacity suitable to a Maharaja and tried collaborating on his level, with the Nawab of Junaghad
- Later Lord Curzon even presented the King with a letter addressed to the ruler of Abisinia (Current Ethopia) so that some lions from there could be brought to Kuno
- A Persian expert named D.M. Zaal was made in charge of this project by the King and in 1905 , this project was allocated Rs. 1 lakh budget in that year.
4. Significance of Kuno National Park
- The area surrounding Kuno river has been rich in biodiversity since ancient times. Its importance can be reflected in the 30,000-year-old cave paintings in nearby Pahargarh depicting multiple wild animals.
- Biogeographically this area falls under the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forest eco-region and the forest types found in this area include the Northern tropical dry deciduous forest, Southern tropical dry deciduous forest, Dry Savannah forest & grassland, Tropical riverine forest
- It is equally rich in the faunal species and thus provide a rare amalgamation of various favourable factors for wildlife
- The significance of this area is strengthened by the fact that because of its aptness on various parameters Wildlife Institute of India chose this as the most suitable location for Lion Reintroduction Program in its study
- Government of Madhya Pradesh revised the status of this area, ameliorating it to become a National Park with 748.761 square km as the core and 557.278 buffer area as the buffer in December 2018
- This upgradation of Kuno Sanctuary to Kuno National Park further cements it’s importance in the field of Wildlife Conservation in Central Indian Landscape.
5.Biodiversity of Kuno
- Thus Kuno National Park’s forest area is mainly dominated by Kardhai, Salai, Khair trees among mostly mixed forests, this also helps it in having a variety of species of flora and fauna. In all, a total of 123 species of trees , 71 species of shrubs , 32 species of climbers and exotic species and 34 species of bamboos and grasses are found in Kuno National Park
- Kuno has one of the most unique combination of forest and vegetation in entire Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas which can only be seen to be believed
The forests of Kuno National Park are broadly classified into the following types:
- “Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest”
- Southern Tropical Very Dry Teak Forest
- Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest
- Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest
- Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous Scrub
- Northern Tropical Thorn Forest
- Ravine Thorn Forest
- Zizyphus Scrub
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Kuno National Park which is mainly dominated by Kardhai, Salai, Khair trees among the mixed forests, supports a vide variety of both floral and faunal species. It has a rich biodiversity having a total of 123 species of trees , 71 species of shrubs , 32 species of climbers & exotic species, 34 species of bamboos and grasses, 33 species of mammals, 206 species of birds, 14 species of fishes, 33 species of reptiles and 10 species of amphibians. Such a high number of both floral and faunal species make it one of the most biodiverse areas of Central Indian Landscape.
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6.Why Kuno is best for Cheeta re-introduction
The Kuno National Park has diverse habitats conducive for lions and cheetahs constituted by
- Open woodlands,
- Savanna,
- Dry deciduous forests.
- Evergreen riverine forests
Forest grass species are common in valley habitats while plateau tops had shorter grasses
Kuno National Park is part of a large forested landscape constituted by the Sheopur-Shivpuri forests covering an area of -6800 sq. km.
The density of leopards in Kuno National Park is 8.9 per 100 sq. km
7.About Kuno river
The Kuno River is one of the main tributaries of the Chambal River
It flows through the Kuno National Park from south to north, draining the other rivulets and Tributaries into Chambal River in Morena at MP-Rajasthan border
It is 180 km long and originates from the Shivpuri Plateau
Source: Indianexpress
