Jaipur/Bhopal, Oct. 15 -- Tourists visiting Rajasthan's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve will soon be able to explore Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park and Madhav Tiger Reserve under a proposed wildlife tourism circuit aimed at connecting the three protected areas, officials aware of the matter said. The Madhya Pradesh forest department has prepared a proposal to develop the circuit by linking Ranthambore with Kuno National Park and Madhav Tiger Reserve in Shivpuri. The initiative is expected to expand wildlife tourism opportunities across the region, attracting domestic and international visitors. At present, Kuno National Park has around 55 cheetahs, Madhav Tiger Reserve has four tigers, and Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is home to over 75 tigers. The proposed circuit comes amid growing interest in strengthening wildlife connectivity between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has also expressed interest in developing a wildlife corridor connecting Ranthambore, Kuno and Madhav. A senior WII official said the institute was identifying wildlife corridors across the country, including one connecting the three protected areas. "Our role is to identify corridors based on historical records, animal movement and connectivity between habitats. Developing these corridors is the responsibility of the respective state governments," the official said. "From a tourism perspective, cheetahs and tigers are certainly major attractions. Road and forest connectivity between these areas is essential". Repeated incursions by cheetahs from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park into Rajasthan have also intensified demands for the state's formal inclusion in Project Cheetah. Wildlife enthusiasts in the Hadoti region argue that the animals' movement into Baran, Chittorgarh and other parts of Rajasthan should be treated as a conservation opportunity rather than a management challenge. Female cheetah Veera recently spent an extended period in Baran before being tranquillised and taken back to Kuno. India-born cheetahs KP-2 and KP-3 have also ventured into Rajasthan, strengthening calls for a coordinated interstate conservation strategy. The National Tiger Conservation Authority has identified the 17,000-square-kilometre Kuno-Gandhi Sagar landscape, including 6,500 square kilometres in Rajasthan, as an interstate conservation corridor. The state's component covers Baran, Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, Chittorgarh, Karauli and Sawai Madhopur. The Madhya Pradesh tourism department is also planning to expand facilities outside Kuno National Park, including accommodation, safari services and other tourist amenities. The focus is on improving the visitor experience, encouraging longer stays and promoting the region as a broader wildlife tourism destination. Kuno National Park field director Uttam Sharma said hotels were coming up in Shivpuri and areas near Kuno as preparations gathered pace to develop the tourism circuit. "From Ranthambore to Madhav, a tiger corridor has been notified for the past decade. Efforts are being made to boost the economy through wildlife conservation," Sharma said. The proposed circuit could also include Ranthambore Fort, Chauth Ka Barwara and religious and tourism destinations around Shivada-Khandar. In Madhya Pradesh, the plan envisages linking Chandrapata, the Chhatris of the Maharajas in Shivpuri, Madhav Kund, Palpur Fort in Sheopur, Chambal Safari, Rameshwar Dham, Sheopur Fort and Bangar Dam. The initiative is expected to strengthen wildlife tourism across the three states, offer visitors a wider range of safari and nature experiences, and create employment opportunities for communities around the areas....