9 cheetahs from Botswana get new home in MP's Kuno National Park; India’s count rises to 48

Nine cheetahs airlifted from Botswana arrived at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on February 28 and were released into a quarantine enclosure, taking India’s total cheetah count under the reintroduction programme to 48.

Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav released the six female and three male cheetahs into the enclosure, Madhya Pradesh Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) L Krishnamoorthy said.

The third batch of cheetahs from Africa arrived earlier in the day aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft as part of the country’s four-year cheetah population revival plan. District public relations officer Avantika Shrivastava said the animals were flown from Botswana to Gwalior in an IAF aircraft and then transported to Kuno in IAF helicopters.

The IAF has been assisting the cheetah revival programme since its inception, having earlier transported cheetahs from Namibia in September 2022 and from South Africa in February 2023, said Project Cheetah Director Uttam Sharma.
“The arrival of more cheetahs will strengthen the revival programme. With the support of the Central government, we aim to increase the population to 50 as soon as possible,” Sharma said.

According to officials, three cheetahs have been relocated to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, while 36 remain at Kuno. They noted that endangered animals are generally not kept in a single habitat due to the risk of disease outbreaks that could wipe out an entire population.

The cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal, became extinct in India nearly seven decades ago. The ambitious reintroduction project aims to establish a viable population in the wild.

Last year, 12 cubs were born at Kuno, though six, including three cubs, did not survive. This year, nine cubs were born in two litters between February 7 and February 18. In total, 39 cubs have been born at Kuno since 2023, of which 27 have survived.

Namibia-born Jwala and Aasha, South Africa-born Gamini, Veera and Nirva, and India-born Mukhi have all produced litters at the park, marking significant milestones in India’s cheetah conservation efforts.