A cheetah does not read maps. It follows prey, tests unfamiliar terrain and pushes into new territory on instinct alone. Such tendencies are not lost on the big cats from Africa released in India under Project Cheetah. But every case of one of these cheetahs crossing over from Madhya Pradesh into Rajasthan has, so far, ended the same way: a tranquilliser dart, a scramble of veterinarians and forest officials, and a forced ride back to Kuno National Park.
Since Project Cheetah began in Sept 2022, cheetahs have crossed into Rajasthan on at least 11 documented occasions, triggering eight tranquillisation operations. Some animals lingered only for a few days before capture; others ranged for weeks across forests, scrubland, farms and village edges.