Madhya Pradesh wildlife officials have released two male cheetahs, named Agni and Vayu, into the safari area at Kuno National Park, a decision coinciding with the inauguration of the Kuno Forest festival.

According to officials, the cheetahs were released in the Ahera tourism zone, a location designated for tourists to witness them during safari visits, as reported by IndianExpress.

During the Kuno Forest festival, scheduled from December 17 to 21, a forest retreat (tent city) has been developed to attract wildlife enthusiasts and tourists. The event aims to highlight the diverse flora and fauna of Kuno, while also advocating for cheetah conservation.

The festival will include local art, craft, folk music, dance forms, and adventure sport. Officials said the event's main attractions include adventure games, jungle safari, hot air ballooning, parasailing, paragliding, cave excursion, folk music, and village tour.

Officials said the steering committee had given an in-principle approval for gradual release of all cheetahs housed in enclosures.

The decision to release the cheetahs followed the careful monitoring of 15 cheetahs - seven males, seven females and a cub - housed in enclosures Kuno National Park since August.

They were put under such monitoring because during the monsoons, three cheetahs had died due to infections that some officials and experts have said may have been caused by abrasions from radio collars during wet weather.

However, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change denies this.

Under Project Cheetah, a total of 20 cheetahs were relocated from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park in two batches - the first in September last year and the second in February this year.

Six adult cheetahs - all relocated from Namibia and South Africa - and three cubs born in India, have died since March this year.