India is set to receive eight cheetahs from Botswana in two phases, with four expected to arrive by May, as per reports.
So far, over Rs 112 crore has been spent on Project Cheetah nationwide, with 67 per cent of the total funds allocated to cheetah rehabilitation efforts in Madhya Pradesh.
In addition to Botswana, efforts are ongoing to bring more cheetahs from South Africa and Kenya. An agreement is currently being negotiated between India and Kenya to facilitate future translocations, as reported.
The newly arrived cheetahs will be relocated to the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, located near the Rajasthan border. An in-principle agreement has been established between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to create an inter-state cheetah conservation area.
Project Cheetah began with the historic translocation of eight cheetahs (five females and three males) from Namibia to Kuno National Park (KNP) on September 17, 2022. In February 2023, 12 more cheetahs were brought from South Africa.
As of now, Kuno National Park houses a total of 26 cheetahs, including 14 cubs born in India. Of these, 16 roam freely in the open forest, while 10 remain in enclosures at the rehabilitation centre. Forest officials confirmed that all cheetahs are monitored round the clock using satellite collars.
