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Science
Cheetah Nirva Found After 12 Days Missing in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno Sanctuary
✍️ Deccan Chronicle
🗓 03 Sep 2026, 05:47 AM
👁 33
The endangered cheetah named Nirva, missing for 12 days in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, was located after a malfunction in its tracking collar was identified.
The cheetah dubbed Nirva, part of the recent re‑introduction programme in Madhya Pradesh, went missing from Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary on June 22. Forest officials launched an intensive search, relying on the animal’s GPS collar to pinpoint its movements.
After nearly two weeks of fruitless tracking, technicians discovered that the collar’s signal had been disrupted by a technical glitch, causing the device to stop transmitting accurate location data. Once the fault was rectified, the collar resumed sending coordinates that led teams to a dense thicket where Nirva was found alive.
State wildlife officials confirmed that the cheetah is in good health and will be monitored closely to prevent future tracking failures. The incident underscores the challenges of managing the nascent cheetah population in India and the importance of reliable telemetry equipment.
The discovery has been welcomed by conservationists, who view Nirva’s safe return as a positive sign for the broader goal of establishing a viable cheetah herd in the country.
After nearly two weeks of fruitless tracking, technicians discovered that the collar’s signal had been disrupted by a technical glitch, causing the device to stop transmitting accurate location data. Once the fault was rectified, the collar resumed sending coordinates that led teams to a dense thicket where Nirva was found alive.
State wildlife officials confirmed that the cheetah is in good health and will be monitored closely to prevent future tracking failures. The incident underscores the challenges of managing the nascent cheetah population in India and the importance of reliable telemetry equipment.
The discovery has been welcomed by conservationists, who view Nirva’s safe return as a positive sign for the broader goal of establishing a viable cheetah herd in the country.