What Happened
- Nine African cheetahs (six females and three males) from Botswana arrived at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on February 28, 2026.
- The animals were transported from Mokolodi Nature Reserve to Gaborone Airport and airlifted to Gwalior with Indian Air Force assistance.
- Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav officially received the cheetahs and released them into quarantine acclimatisation enclosures.
- The new arrivals take India's total cheetah population to 48, including 28 India-born cubs, with 45 in Kuno and 3 at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (also in MP).
- Formal discussions with Botswana's government had begun in December 2024, marking the addition of a third source country after Namibia and South Africa.
Static Topic Bridges
Project Cheetah and the Cheetah Action Plan
Project Cheetah is India's flagship wildlife restoration programme managed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) became extinct in India in 1952 — the last three confirmed individuals were shot by Maharajah Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Surguja in 1947-48. Because the Asiatic cheetah's range (now restricted to Iran) made sourcing impossible, India opted to introduce the African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), a closely related subspecies. The Supreme Court cleared the translocation plan in January 2020 after NTCA petitioned for permission, and an Action Plan for Cheetah Introduction was prepared in accordance with the latest IUCN Reintroduction Guidelines.
- First batch: 8 cheetahs from Namibia, September 17, 2022 — released by PM Narendra Modi at KNP
- Second batch: 12 cheetahs from South Africa, February 18, 2023
- Third batch: 9 cheetahs from Botswana, February 28, 2026 (current event)
- Distinction: Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the only non-retractile-clawed big cat; it sprints up to 120 km/h but cannot roar — distinct from leopard (Panthera pardus) which is spotted but stockier and can roar
- African cheetah: IUCN status — Vulnerable; population ~7,000 in the wild
Connection to this news: The Botswana batch represents a strategic diversification of source populations and signals sustained bilateral wildlife diplomacy beyond Namibia and South Africa.
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and Schedule I
India's foundational wildlife law, the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (WPA), provides the legal framework for conserving wildlife and their habitats. Cheetahs are listed under Schedule I of the WPA, affording them the highest level of legal protection — any hunting, capture, or trade is prohibited without specific government sanction. The Act also empowers the NTCA to manage tiger reserves and oversee conservation projects. Kuno National Park was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1981 and upgraded to a National Park in 2018, partly with cheetah reintroduction in mind.
- WPA 1972: 6 schedules; Schedule I offers maximum protection
- NTCA: Statutory body under MoEFCC; established under Section 38L of WPA 1972
- Kuno NP area: approximately 748 sq km core; located in Sheopur district, MP
- Cheetah reintroduction is governed by NTCA's Action Plan, which mandates phased release from quarantine → small enclosures → free ranging
Connection to this news: The arrival of Botswana cheetahs is an operational step within the phased cheetah reintroduction process regulated under the WPA and overseen by NTCA.
Challenges of Cheetah Reintroduction
The programme has faced significant hurdles. Of the 20 adult cheetahs introduced in 2022-23, several died in the first two years from causes including septicemia, maggot infestation (myiasis), inter-cheetah aggression, and suspected drowning. Three of four India-born cubs also died, reportedly due to extreme heat. Global experience from South Africa suggests that more than 50% mortality in the initial reintroduction phase is not unusual. Despite challenges, 28 cubs have now been born in India, indicating successful breeding within the programme.
- Total India-born cheetah cubs (as of Feb 2026): 28
- Cheetah-specific threats in India: prey base adequacy (chital, chinkara), human-wildlife conflict, disease, waterlogging (cheetahs are arid-terrain animals)
- Project Cheetah total estimated cost: approximately USD 28 million
- Expansion plans: Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (MP) and other sites being evaluated as second cheetah habitats
Connection to this news: The addition of Botswana cheetahs is partly intended to bolster genetic diversity and replenish population numbers lost to initial mortality.
Key Facts & Data
- Total cheetahs in India (post-Feb 28, 2026): 48 (20 translocated adults + 28 India-born cubs)
- Kuno NP holds 45; Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary holds 3
- Botswana batch composition: 6 females + 3 males
- Transit: Mokolodi Nature Reserve (Botswana) → Gaborone Airport → IAF airlift → Gwalior → KNP
- African cheetah IUCN status: Vulnerable; estimated wild population ~7,000
- Cheetah extinct in India since: 1952 (last confirmed 1947-48, Surguja)
- Kuno NP declared National Park: 2018; area ~748 sq km
- Namibia MoU for cheetah translocation signed: 2022; South Africa: 2023; Botswana discussions: December 2024