About Kuno National Park:
- It is located in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.
- It is nestled near the Vindhyan Hills.
- It covers an area of 750 sq.km.
- It derives its name from the meandering Kuno River (one of the main tributaries of the Chambal River), which flows from south to north and divides the park into two sections.
- It was selected under the ‘Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India’.
- Flora:
- Kuno National Park has a rich floral diversity with more than 129 species of trees.
- These tropical dry deciduous forests mainly consist of Anogeissus pendula (Kardhai), Senegalia catechu (Khair), Boswellia serrata (Salai), and associated flora.
- Fauna:
- The protected area of the forest is home to the jungle cat, Indian leopard, sloth bear, Indian wolf, striped hyena, golden jackal, Bengal fox, and dhole, along with more than 120 bird species.
- A total of 20 cheetahs were introduced in Kuno National Park (NP), eight from Namibia in September 2022, followed by 12 more from South Africa in February 2023 under the Cheetah Project.
