Kuno River, Major river in Madhya Pradesh, India
The Kuno River is a river in Madhya Pradesh, central India, rising in the Vindhya hills and flowing through forested valleys before joining the Chambal River. Its banks alternate between rocky outcrops and sandy stretches, with patches of thick woodland covering much of the surrounding terrain.
Settlements along the Kuno date back many centuries, as the river ran through a zone that served as a buffer between the kingdoms of central India. In the 20th century, the forested land around it was gradually protected, eventually becoming a wildlife sanctuary and then a national park.
The Kuno gives its name to the national park on its banks, which was chosen as the site for the reintroduction of cheetahs brought from Namibia in 2022. Fishing communities along the river follow seasonal patterns tied to water levels and monsoon cycles.
The river and the surrounding park area are easiest to visit between October and March, when the weather is dry and paths along the banks are passable. During the monsoon season, from roughly July to September, many tracks in the area become flooded or impassable.
Although gharials, a rare crocodilian with a long narrow snout, had nearly disappeared from most Indian rivers, the Kuno became part of an active program to bring them back through captive breeding and release. Attentive visitors walking along the banks sometimes spot them resting at the water's edge in the early morning.
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