During the President of India’s state visit to Botswana, the country formally announced the translocation of eight cheetahs to India as a part of Project Cheetah.

Translocation So Far

¨     In September 2022, eight cheetahs from Namibia were brought to a special enclosure in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, marking the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a large wild carnivore.

¨     In February 2023, twelve more cheetahs from South Africa joined them in India.

¨     As part of the latest translocation, Botswana has handed over eight additional cheetahs, currently undergoing quarantine at the Mokolodi Reserve and expected to reach India in the coming weeks.

¨     India now has 27 cheetahs, including 16 born on Indian soil.

¨     24 Cheetahs are at Kuno National Park.

¨     3 Cheetahs are at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS).

Since the project began

¨     19 cheetahs (9 imported adults + 10 India-born cubs) have died due to various causes.

¨     26 cubs have been born in Kuno so far.

¨     After importing 20 African cheetahs (Namibia + South Africa), India currently has a net gain of 7 cheetahs over the initial number.

¨     Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh is being developed as India’s third site for cheetahs.

Project Cheetah

¨     Launched in September 2022, the project aims to reintroduce cheetahs, which became extinct in India in 1952, and restore their ecological role in grassland and open forest ecosystems.

¨     It is the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a large wild carnivore species, focusing on establishing a self-sustaining, free-ranging cheetah population.

About Cheetah

¨     It is the only large carnivore species that went extinct in Independent India.

¨     Cheetahs thrive in open grasslands, savannas, and arid areas where they can use their speed to hunt prey like gazelles and antelope.

African Cheetah

¨     The African cheetah has a slender, long-legged body with a tawny to creamy white coat covered in evenly spaced black spots.

¨     IUCN status: Vulnerable

Asiatic Cheetah

¨     The Asiatic cheetah is slender, with buff-to-light fawn-coloured fur and distinctive black spots arranged in lines on the head and nape.

¨     IUCN status: Critically Endangered

Implementation agencies

¨     National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

¨     Wildlife Institute of India (WII)

¨     Madhya Pradesh Forest Department

International cheetah experts

¨     The project integrates habitat restoration, biodiversity conservation, ecotourism, and community involvement, including awareness programmes and conflict mitigation.

Significance of Re-introducing Cheetahs in India

¨     Restoration of a keystone predator: Helps regulate herbivore populations, preventing overgrazing and maintaining vegetation health.

¨     Strengthening grassland ecosystems: Cheetahs serve as a flagship species for the conservation of India’s neglected grasslands, scrublands, and open forests.

¨     Promoting trophic cascades: Their presence can trigger positive cascading impacts across the food chain, enhancing biodiversity and ecological resilience.

¨     Supporting other endangered species: Protection measures for cheetah habitats benefit other threatened fauna sharing the same landscapes.

¨     Boosting local livelihoods: Ecotourism and community-led conservation can generate sustainable employment and economic diversification for local communities.