Nauradehi to become Madhya Pradesh's third cheetah habitat by October 7
Synopsis
Madhya Pradesh is stretching its cheetah footprint to the Bundelkhand region: on 7 October, CM Mohan Yadav will release male cheetah Tholo and female CCB-3 into a 439-hectare boma at the 2,340 sq km Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve — making Nauradehi the state's third cheetah habitat after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
Key Takeaways
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will release two cheetahs into a soft-release boma at Nauradehi on 7 October 2026 .
The two cheetahs — male Tholo and female CCB-3 — will be relocated from Kuno National Park ; CCB-3 is the sister of cheetah Radha at Gandhi Sagar.
The Cheetah Steering Committee has approved relocation of a total of four cheetahs to Nauradehi; the remaining two will follow later.
The soft-release boma covers 439 hectares , divided into five sections , with power fencing and 24-hour tracking.
Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve spans 2,340 sq km , making it Madhya Pradesh's largest tiger reserve and its third cheetah site after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
Cheetah relocation to Banni Grasslands, Gujarat is also in progress, though no release date has been fixed.
Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve in Nauradehi, Madhya Pradesh, is set to become the state's third cheetah habitat when Chief Minister Mohan Yadav formally releases two cheetahs into a soft-release enclosure on 7 October 2026. The move extends India's ongoing cheetah reintroduction programme beyond Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar in Neemuch, pushing the big cats deeper into the Bundelkhand region for the first time.
The Two Cheetahs Heading to Nauradehi
The Cheetah Steering Committee has approved the relocation of a total of four cheetahs to Nauradehi, with the first pair arriving on 7 October. A male cheetah named Tholo and a female identified as CCB-3 will be shifted from Kuno National Park. Notably, CCB-3 is the sister of cheetah Radha, who was earlier released at Gandhi Sagar — a familial thread linking the state's expanding network of cheetah sites. Two more cheetahs are expected to follow once conditions in the reserve are assessed.
The Soft-Release Boma: Scale and Safety Features
For the initial phase, both animals will be housed in a 439-hectare soft-release boma — a managed enclosure comparable in area to Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal. The boma is divided into five sections and equipped with power fencing and round-the-clock tracking infrastructure. According to the state Forest Department, all ground preparations for the arrival and soft release have been completed. The soft-release model, standard practice in large-carnivore reintroductions globally, allows animals to acclimatise to a new environment before free-ranging in the wild.
Why Nauradehi Was Chosen
Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve, spanning 2,340 square kilometres, is Madhya Pradesh's largest tiger reserve. Its open forests and tall grasslands are assessed as suitable cheetah habitat, and the area sits within the catchment of the Narmada, Betwa, and Ken river systems — offering ecological diversity that wildlife officials say favours the big cats. The reserve's landscape also contrasts with the more forested terrain at Kuno, potentially broadening the range of habitat the reintroduced population can exploit.
Madhya Pradesh's Expanding Cheetah Network
With Nauradehi joining Kuno and Gandhi Sagar, Madhya Pradesh will host three distinct cheetah sites — the highest concentration in any single Indian state under the reintroduction programme. This comes amid preparations in other states as well: authorities are working to relocate cheetahs to Banni Grasslands in Gujarat, though a release date there has not yet been finalised. Officials said the Nauradehi release is expected to give fresh impetus to wildlife conservation in the Bundelkhand region, an area historically underrepresented in large-mammal conservation initiatives.
What Comes Next
The 7 October ceremony, led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, will mark the formal inauguration of the boma phase. Wildlife managers will monitor the animals' adaptation before deciding on the timeline for free-range release within the reserve. The success of the Nauradehi experiment could inform the pace of cheetah expansion to Gujarat and any future sites under India's national cheetah reintroduction plan.
Point of View
Which would meaningfully expand the ecological envelope of the reintroduction. The choice of a 439-hectare boma — larger than Van Vihar — reflects lessons from earlier soft-release phases, where insufficient acclimatisation space contributed to stress and mortality. The real measure of success, however, will be post-boma survival and territorial range, data that India's cheetah programme has been slow to publish with transparency. With Gujarat's Banni relocation also pending, the Centre and states are building geographic redundancy into the programme — but without open mortality and health reporting, public accountability for one of conservation's most ambitious rewilding bets remains weak.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When will cheetahs be released at Nauradehi?
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is scheduled to release two cheetahs into the soft-release boma at Nauradehi on 7 October 2026. The animals — Tholo and CCB-3 — will be relocated from Kuno National Park ahead of the ceremony.
Which cheetahs are being moved to Nauradehi?
A male cheetah named Tholo and a female identified as CCB-3 will be the first pair relocated from Kuno National Park to Nauradehi. CCB-3 is the sister of cheetah Radha, who is already at Gandhi Sagar. The Cheetah Steering Committee has approved four cheetahs in total for the reserve.
Why is Nauradehi considered suitable for cheetahs?
Veerangana Durgawati Tiger Reserve's open forests and tall grasslands have been assessed as suitable cheetah habitat. Spanning 2,340 sq km, it is Madhya Pradesh's largest tiger reserve, and it sits within the catchment of the Narmada, Betwa and Ken river systems.
What is a soft-release boma and why is it used?
A soft-release boma is a managed enclosure that allows wild animals to acclimatise to a new environment before free-ranging. Nauradehi's boma covers 439 hectares, is divided into five sections, and is fitted with power fencing and 24-hour tracking — comparable in size to Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal.
How many cheetah habitats does Madhya Pradesh now have?
With Nauradehi joining Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh will have three cheetah habitats — the largest concentration in any single state under India's cheetah reintroduction programme. Gujarat's Banni Grasslands are also being prepared, though no date has been set.
