India to Import 8 Cheetahs from Botswana, 4 of Them Next Month

Bhopal:

Eight cheetahs are to be imported to India from Botswana in southern Africa in two phases, including four by May, officials have announced. A statement from the Madhya Pradesh government stated that this information was provided by officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), who participated in a review meeting of the cheetah project in Bhopal on Friday in the presence of Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

“Efforts are on to import more cheetahs from South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya to India. Eight cheetahs are being imported in two phases to India. A plan is there to import four cheetahs from Botswana to India by May. Following that, four more cheetahs will be imported. Currently, permission is being framed on a treaty between India and Kenya,” the release added NTCA officials to say.

During the meeting, NTCA officials reported that over Rs 112 crore has been utilized for the cheetah project in the nation up to now, out of which 67 per cent has been utilized towards cheetah rehabilitation in Madhya Pradesh, according to the release.

“Cheetahs under Project Cheetah will now be translocated in a phased manner in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. The sanctuary is close to the Rajasthan border, and thus an in-principle understanding has been reached between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for the creation of an inter-state cheetah conservation area,” the release added.

Special training is being imparted to “cheetah mitras” in Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary to augment their capacity, it said.

During the meeting, forest officials reported that there are 26 cheetahs in Kuno National Park, of which 16 are in the open forest and 10 in the rehabilitation centre (enclosures).

24-hour monitoring is done using satellite collar IDs to track the cheetahs, officials said.

Female cheetahs Jwala, Asha, Gamini, and Veera have delivered cubs, they said, and added that the tourist footfall in KNP has doubled in two years.

“The state government has moved a petition in the Supreme Court requesting leave to initiate cheetah safari in Kuno. Leave is required to initiate safari in forest tracts or eco-sensitive zones. The ruling on this petition is still pending,” the release added.

Eight Namibian cheetahs, including five females and three males, were introduced into KNP on September 17, 2022, the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the big cats.

In February 2023, another 12 cheetahs were translocated from South Africa to KNP.

There are 26 cheetahs in Kuno National Park, including 14 India-born cubs.