Two cheetahs were released at the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, 8 October 2026, making it India's third cheetah habitat after Kuno National Park and the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary. The release, conducted in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, marks a significant milestone in Project Cheetah, India's pioneering initiative to reintroduce a species that was declared extinct in the country decades ago.

India's Cheetah Count Reaches 60

India's total cheetah population now stands at 60, of which 41 have been born within the country — a figure the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has called further evidence of a thriving cheetah population. The recent birth of five cubs also marked the start of the Botswana lineage in India, adding genetic diversity to the growing metapopulation.

The NTCA described the Nauradehi translocation as another step in the long-term consolidation of a national cheetah metapopulation framework, designed to facilitate dispersal and genetic exchange across interconnected central Indian landscapes.

Project Cheetah: Origins and Progress

Project Cheetah was launched with the translocation of a founder population of 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa, subsequently supplemented by nine cheetahs from Botswana through coordinated international cooperation and scientific planning. Despite initial challenges associated with wildlife translocation, the project has recorded what authorities describe as encouraging outcomes.

Scientific monitoring indicates that the introduced animals have adapted well to Indian conditions, with stable ranging behaviour, effective prey utilisation, and no significant physiological stress observed across different management settings. Survival rates of introduced individuals and cubs have reportedly been in line with — and in certain cases better than — global benchmarks.

Government Review and Expansion Plans

A high-level review meeting, chaired by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav, was convened in the days preceding the Nauradehi release to assess Project Cheetah's progress and deliberate on future expansion. Preparatory work is now underway to extend the project to new areas, including the Banni grasslands in Gujarat, where habitat readiness and prey augmentation measures have reportedly reached satisfactory levels.

Sustained sourcing of cheetahs from African countries is also envisaged to maintain genetic diversity and support continued population growth, according to officials.

Why Nauradehi Matters for Conservation

The addition of Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary as a third cheetah site reflects the project's shift from a single-site model to a landscape-based approach, critical for long-term sustainability. While Kuno National Park remains the primary establishment site, and Gandhisagar serves as an expansion habitat, Nauradehi strengthens the interconnected corridor across central India.

Conservationists note that a multi-site metapopulation strategy reduces disease and disaster risk concentrated in any one location — a lesson drawn from cheetah recovery programmes in southern Africa. With the Banni grasslands on the horizon, India's reintroduction effort is increasingly being watched as a globally significant model for large carnivore restoration.