India’s Project Cheetah is gearing up for a big expansion by the end of the year. Officials are in talks with Botswana, Namibia, and Kenya to bring in 8 to 10 cheetahs from each country, giving a fresh push to efforts to revive the world’s fastest land animal on Indian soil.
Right now, India hosts 27 cheetahs. That includes 11 brought over from South Africa and Namibia in two groups, plus 16 cubs born right here. The heart of the operation is Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, a sprawling 748 square kilometers of protected habitat within a larger 3,500 square kilometer area perfect for cheetahs.
About 15 of these speedy cats roam freely in Kuno these days. To make room for the newcomers, teams have picked two more spots: the Banni grasslands in Gujarat and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Experts chose these sites because their climates match southern Africa, where most cheetahs come from.
The news gets even better with survival stats. Cheetah cubs at Kuno boast a 61% survival rate—way above the global average of 40%—despite the species’ usual challenges with cub losses. Adult cheetahs are thriving too, with an 86% survival rate in the project’s second year.
Project Cheetah kicked off in September 2022 when the first batch arrived from Namibia. The goal? Build a self-sustaining cheetah population in India, where the big cats vanished in 1952. With these new translocations and habitats on the horizon, the initiative is stepping into an exciting second phase focused on growth and stability.
In a recent highlight, on September 18, a 7.5-year-old female cheetah named Dheera made the move from Kuno National Park to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district. This marks the second key introduction site for the project.
The translocation kicked off at dawn in Kuno. Vets, field staff, and top forest officials kept a close eye on everything. Dheera stayed calm and alert in her custom crate during the seven-hour trip in an air-conditioned vehicle. The team reached Gandhi Sagar around 2 p.m., ensuring she stayed comfortable and healthy the whole way.
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