Key Highlights

  • An India-born female cheetah (KGP12) gave birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park (KNP), Madhya Pradesh.
  • With these births, India's total cheetah population has risen to 56.
  • The births mark a milestone as Project Cheetah completes four years since its launch in September 2022.

About Project Cheetah

  • Launch: September 2022 — a pioneering inter-continental translocation of a large wild carnivore.
  • Aim: Reintroduce cheetahs in India after their declared extinction in 1952, through translocation and breeding programmes.
  • Objectives:
  • Establish breeding populations of cheetahs in India
  • Restore open forest and savanna ecosystems
  • Promote ecotourism and local livelihoods
  • Reduce human–wildlife conflict

Translocation History

  • 2022: First batch of cheetahs arrived from Namibia (released at Kuno National Park).
  • 2023: Further translocations from South Africa.
  • 2026: Additional cheetahs brought in from Botswana.

Implementation Framework

  • Nodal agency: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • Collaborating partners: Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.

Future Expansion Sites

  • Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) — preparations underway to develop it as another cheetah habitat.
  • Banni Grasslands (Gujarat) — under consideration.
  • Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh) — under consideration.

Ecological Significance

  • Project Cheetah is moving towards landscape-level management, focusing on:
  • Suitable habitat
  • Prey availability
  • Ecological connectivity for long-term cheetah recovery

Background & Context

  • The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952; the last recorded killing was in 1947 in present-day Chhattisgarh.
  • India's native Asiatic cheetah now survives only in Iran; the reintroduced population comprises the Southeast African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) sourced from Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.
  • Kuno National Park (Sheopur district, MP) was selected for its grassland–savanna habitat, adequate prey base and prior habitat preparation (it was originally readied for Asiatic lions).
  • The cheetah enjoys the highest legal protection — Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Appendix I of CITES.

Significance for India

  • Conservation milestone: Demonstrates India's capacity for large carnivore reintroduction and species restoration.
  • Ecosystem restoration: Focuses attention on savanna/grassland biomes, among India's most under-protected ecosystems.
  • Livelihoods & ecotourism: Potential to generate local employment and eco-development around KNP.
  • Policy learning: Informs future rewilding programmes and human–wildlife conflict mitigation strategies.

Related Constitutional/Legal Provisions

  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — cheetah listed in Schedule I (highest protection).
  • Forests and wildlife protection fall under the Concurrent List (shifted via the 42nd Amendment, 1976).
  • CITES Appendix I — international commercial trade in cheetahs prohibited.
  • Cheetah Introduction Action Plan — prepared by WII and NTCA to guide the reintroduction programme.