Project Cheetah at four: 52 thriving, 32 born in India; focus on metapopulation, habitat expansion

Sheopur (MP), Sep 17 (PTI) From the reintroduction of cheetahs to ensuring the survival of cubs, Project Cheetah in India, launched four years ago, overcame unique challenges, with the big cat population surging to 52, including 32 born in the country.

Officials recalled the journey as the cheetah reintroduction programme is set to complete four years on September 17.

On September 17, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight wild cheetahs from Namibia into special enclosures at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

The next phase of the cheetah restoration programme involves expanding suitable habitat for cheetahs and establishing a comprehensive, long-term cheetah meta-population in India.

The population of the world’s fastest land animal in the country has now reached 52, with 32 of them born in India, an official said.

While 49 cheetahs are in Kuno National Park, three others are in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, both in Madhya Pradesh. Over the last four years, many important milestones have been achieved, ranging from the reintroduction of cheetahs to breeding, survival of cubs, and expansion in open forest, the official said in a statement.

The journey that began in Namibia on the distant African continent has reached Gandhi Sagar sanctuary. A total of 32 cheetahs were born in India, officials said.

The success in cheetah breeding and expansion was achieved by learning from difficulties.

“The team faced many challenges in the first year of cheetah reintroduction. During this time, they gained experience in cheetah behaviour, health, and management adapted to Indian conditions,” the official said.

In the next year, the focus shifted to the survival and development of cubs born in India. According to the document, 13 cubs survived for more than a year after birth.

In the third year (2025), cheetahs were released into open forest areas. They were monitored 24 hours across an interstate landscape spanning 12 districts, officials said, adding that the cheetahs gradually adapted to new areas.

The establishment of breeding females and the successful survival of the second generation of cubs in the fourth year are considered significant achievements of the programme, they said Referring to various milestones in the project, the official said three of the eight cheetahs imported from Namibia are alive. These, along with the 22 cubs born in India, bring the total number of surviving Namibian-born cheetahs and their offspring to 25.

On February 18, 2023, officials said, 12 cheetahs were imported from South Africa, and eight of them are alive. With ten cubs born in India, the population of surviving South African-origin cheetahs and their offspring has reached 18. Of this group, 15 are in KNP and three in Gandhi Sagar.

In February this year, nine cheetahs were brought to India from Botswana, further strengthening the international base for cheetah restoration in India.

Of the total 49 cheetahs in Kuno, 17 are in the open forest, including 10 males and seven females, while 32 are in soft-release enclosures. These include five males, eight females, and 19 cubs under one year of age, the official said.

The next phase of the cheetah restoration programme is to expand suitable habitats of cheetahs and establish a comprehensive, long-term cheetah meta-population in India.

The expansion from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar and other potential cheetah habitats is aligned with this goal, the official said. PTI COR MAS NSK NR

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