India's Kuno Park Shelters 5 Thriving Species Beyond Cheetahs

While the world watches cheetahs settle into their new Indian home, an entire ecosystem has been flourishing at Kuno National Park long before the spotted cats arrived.

India's ambitious cheetah reintroduction project put Kuno on the global map in recent years. But the 748-square-kilometer park in Madhya Pradesh was never empty. It has been sustaining a rich web of predators, prey, and scavengers that rarely make international news.

The Indian leopard reigns as Kuno's original apex predator, with one bold male named Bahubali holding prime territory. Unlike cheetahs that rely on speed across open grasslands, leopards are ambush hunters who navigate forests with stealth. Their thriving presence signals a healthy prey population of chital deer, sambar, and langurs that has existed here for generations.

Indian wolves, often mistaken for feral dogs, hunt in small packs across Kuno's grasslands and scrub forests. These lean, long-legged carnivores are among India's most elusive predators. With wolf habitats shrinking nationwide due to agriculture and development, their persistence at Kuno reflects the park's ecological integrity.

The misunderstood striped hyena works the night shift as nature's cleanup crew. These nocturnal scavengers prevent disease spread by recycling carcasses back into the soil. Camera traps regularly capture their distinctive slanted silhouettes, even though safari visitors rarely spot them.

Graceful chinkaras, or Indian gazelles, bound across Kuno's open terrain with remarkable agility. These small antelopes need little water and thrive in arid conditions. They feed leopards, wolves, and yes, cheetahs too, making them essential to the predator-prey balance that defines healthy ecosystems.

The Ripple Effect

Perhaps most significant are the vultures circling Kuno's skies. India lost 99% of its vulture population in the 1990s when veterinary drugs poisoned their food supply. Today, critically endangered vulture species are making a slow comeback in protected areas like Kuno. These efficient scavengers can strip a carcass in hours, preventing disease outbreaks that could devastate other wildlife.

Together, these five species reveal what true conservation looks like. It's not just about bringing back one charismatic animal. It's about protecting entire ecosystems where predators hunt, prey thrives, scavengers clean, and the cycle continues unbroken.

The cheetahs may have brought global attention to Kuno, but they're joining a community that proves India's rewilding efforts were working all along.