Sheopur, February 28 – Union Minister for Environment and Forest, Bhupender Yadav, released nine cheetahs into the Kuno National Park in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.
This new batch of nine cheetahs – six males and three females – were brought from Botswana on an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane to the Gwalior airport after a journey of more than 10 hours, and were then transported to Sheopur by two helicopters.
Earlier, it was announced that eight cheetahs would be brought from Botswana, but a total of nine cheetahs have arrived and have been released at the Kuno National Park. All nine cheetahs are currently being kept in quarantine enclosures.
The arrival of these nine new big cats as part of the Centre's ambitious cheetah reintroduction program brings the total number of this species in the country to 48, including 28 cubs born at the park since the first batch of cheetahs was released here on September 17, 2022.
Officials told IANS that multiple quarantine enclosures have been prepared at the park to ensure a stress-free transfer of the animals. Under the protocol, the cheetahs will remain in large, fenced enclosures for about a month.
This is the third batch of African cheetahs brought to India under the translocation program, following earlier introductions from Namibia in September 2022 and South Africa in February 2023.
The latest transfer from Botswana is part of a government-to-government agreement aimed at establishing a genetically diverse, free-ranging cheetah population in India over the next decade.
During the quarantine period, which is likely to be between 15 days and 30 days, wildlife veterinarians and forest officials will monitor their feeding patterns, movement, adaptation to the local climate, and any signs of stress or disease.
Blood samples and health parameters will be assessed regularly. The cheetahs will soon be fitted with GPS satellite collars, which will be checked to ensure real-time tracking once the animals are eventually released into larger, soft-release areas.
Notably, since 2023, as many as 30 cubs have been born at Kuno, of which 28 have survived. In fact, a total of nine cubs were born in two litters between February 7 and February 18, and all have survived so far.