Two cheetahs released into wild in Kuno; CM Yadav says M.P. now recognised as ‘Cheetah State’

Two female cheetahs from Botswana — designated CCV-2 and CCV-3 — were released into the open forest zone of Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, Madhya Pr...

What Happened

Two female cheetahs from Botswana — designated CCV-2 and CCV-3 — were released into the open forest zone of Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh, on May 11, 2026, following a mandatory quarantine period.
The release brings the total cheetah population in India to 57: 54 at Kuno National Park and 3 at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
In April 2026, four cubs were born at Kuno — including the first recorded wild litter born to an Indian-born female cheetah, marking a significant natural-breeding milestone.
Madhya Pradesh has now been informally designated a "Cheetah State" given its central role in the national reintroduction programme.
Nine cheetahs from Botswana arrived in India in February 2026, increasing the gene pool and augmenting the population established from Namibia (2022) and South Africa (2023).

Static Topic Bridges

Project Cheetah and Intercontinental Translocation

Project Cheetah, overseen by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), is the world's first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore. Launched officially on September 17, 2022, the project brought eight cheetahs (five females, three males) from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, followed by twelve from South Africa in January 2023 and nine from Botswana in February 2026. The NTCA operates under Section 38L(1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

First batch: 8 cheetahs from Namibia, September 17, 2022
Second batch: 12 cheetahs from South Africa, January 2023
Third batch: 9 cheetahs from Botswana, February 2026
Target: Introduce 5–10 cheetahs per year over a decade to establish a self-sustaining population

Connection to this news: The latest release of two Botswana cheetahs into the wild — rather than managed enclosures — represents a transition from quarantine to free-ranging status, the operationally critical phase of any reintroduction programme.

Extinction of the Cheetah in India and Legal Protection

The Asiatic cheetah was declared locally extinct in India in 1952, following the last confirmed sighting of a female in Koriya district (present-day Chhattisgarh) in 1951 and the shooting of the last three known individuals in 1948. Cheetah is the only large carnivore to have been completely extirpated from India in the modern era, primarily due to hunting for sport and progressive habitat loss. Under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the cheetah receives the highest level of legal protection in India, making any harm to the animal a cognizable offence.

Last confirmed cheetah sighting in India: 1951, Koriya district, Chhattisgarh
Declared locally extinct: 1952
Legal status: Schedule I, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
NTCA constituted under: Section 38L(1), Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

Connection to this news: Each wild release moves India closer to reversing a 70-year extinction event — an outcome that requires not only bringing animals across continents but sustaining them through natural reproduction, as now evidenced by the April 2026 cub births.

Kuno National Park — Ecological Profile

Kuno National Park (area: ~748 sq km) in Sheopur district, Madhya Pradesh, is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forest ecoregion and was historically a site of Asiatic lion reintroduction planning. It was selected for cheetah reintroduction on the basis of available prey base (primarily chital and sambar), the absence of tigers, and adequate open grassland-savanna habitat suitable for the coursing hunting strategy of cheetahs. Future expansion sites include Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Area: ~748 sq km
District: Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh
Ecosystem type: Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forest / open grassland
Future sites: Gandhi Sagar WLS, Nauradehi WLS

Connection to this news: Three cheetahs are already established at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, indicating active expansion of the reintroduction footprint beyond Kuno.

Key Facts & Data

Total cheetah population in India as of May 2026: 57 (54 at Kuno NP + 3 at Gandhi Sagar WLS)
Project Cheetah launch date: September 17, 2022
April 2026: First wild litter recorded from an Indian-born female cheetah (4 cubs)
Cheetah legal status in India: Schedule I, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
NTCA constituted under: Section 38L(1), Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Cheetahs declared locally extinct in India: 1952
Source countries: Namibia, South Africa, Botswana
Project Cheetah is supervised by NTCA under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
Kuno NP also previously proposed for Asiatic lion reintroduction