In September 2022, eight cheetahs were brought to India for the first time as part of the government's 'Project Cheetah' and released in the Kuno National Park. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself released the big cats in the Kuno forest by opening their cages.
The project's launch coincided with Modi's 72nd birthday. In his address, the prime minister said: “Decades ago, a vital link in our biodiversity was broken and lost. Today, we have the opportunity to restore it. The cheetah had returned to the soil of India.”
In February 2023, 12 more cheetahs arrived from South Africa and they later gave birth to 12 cubs. Unfortunately 11 cheetahs, including cubs, have died so far, raising concerns about their survival in Indian weather condition. There were complaints that these wild animals could not adapt to the Indian climate. Unlike the dry savannahs of Africa, Madhya Pradesh's monsoon climate is more susceptible to infection.
However, the Narendra Modi government plans to import 20 more cheetahs from South Africa in the new year, according to the Madhya Pradesh forest department sources. Instead of Kuno National Park, these cheetahs will stay in Gandhi Sagar, another forest of the state. The government hopes this new location will improve their chances of survival. In the first phase, a mother cheetah and her two cubs from Kuno will be moved to Gandhi Sagar, a six-hour drive away. The Madhav National Park, in Shivpuri district, lies between Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
According to the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, the work of making a part of the Gandhi Sagar National Park suitable for cheetahs is almost over. A 368 square kilometer habitat has been created, with an additional 2,500 square kilometres as a buffer zone. A herd of antelopes has been brought to feed the African guests.
Several wildlife experts have been consulted to address the issues surrounding the survival of the cheetahs in their new environment. Despite the adverse circumstances, authorities have been making every effort for the success of this ambitious project.
Asiatic cheetahs, the native species of cheetah in India, had prowled the country's grasslands for many centuries until they were hunted into oblivion. A favourite hunting target of princely rulers and British colonisers, these big cats were officially declared extinct in India in 1952. Since then, successive governments have been making efforts to reintroduce these animals in the subcontinent's ecosystem and holding discussions with several countries, including Iran and Kenya.
In 2009, the Indian government formally proposed bringing African cheetahs. However, in 2012, the Supreme Court put the plan on hold after some wildlife experts argued that importing African species conflicted with international conservation standards. The court reversed its decision in early 2020, permitting the import of cheetahs on a limited and experimental basis.