A Search Against the Wild
By Sudhir J. Kumar
Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh: The Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh is once again witnessing a challenging search for one of its most elusive residents—Nirwa, a female cheetah whose satellite collar has stopped transmitting her location.
For the past four to five days, the Kuno management has been unable to receive her satellite-based location data. Concerned about her whereabouts, the forest department has launched an extensive search operation, deploying five dedicated teams and more than 100 forest personnel across the park.
The search is being supported by technology as well. Drones and CCTV cameras are being used to monitor potential areas where Nirwa may be present, while forest teams are carefully scanning the surrounding wilderness.
A Faint Signal in the Wilderness
Although Nirwa’s satellite location is unavailable, officials are still receiving BHF signals from her collar. However, these signals have an effective range of only around 500 metres, making it difficult for the teams to determine her exact location in Kuno’s vast and rugged landscape.
The situation highlights the unique challenges of monitoring reintroduced cheetahs in a large natural habitat. Unlike animals kept within enclosed areas, free-ranging cheetahs can travel considerable distances, making continuous tracking dependent on both technology and field surveillance.
Nirwa Has Disappeared Before
This is not the first time Nirwa has slipped beyond the forest department’s tracking system.
In July 2023, she remained untraceable for nearly 22 days after her satellite collar stopped providing location data. Eventually, after an intensive search, Nirwa was safely located and rescued in an operation that lasted approximately six hours.
Her current disappearance has therefore brought back memories of that earlier incident, while also testing the preparedness and tracking capabilities of the Kuno management.
The Search Continues
For the forest teams, the mission is not simply about finding a missing animal—it is about ensuring the safety and well-being of one of India’s closely monitored cheetahs.
As teams move through the forest, drones scan the landscape from above and cameras watch likely movement corridors. Meanwhile, the faint BHF signal offers an important clue, even if it cannot yet reveal Nirwa’s precise location.
For now, the wilderness keeps its secret.
And somewhere within the vast landscape of Kuno, Nirwa may be moving silently through the grasslands—reminding everyone that even in an age of satellites, drones and advanced monitoring systems, nature can still remain wonderfully unpredictable.
