Eight cheetahs to arrive at MP's Kuno Park from Botswana; total count to reach 46

Sheopur: Eight more cheetahs from Africa will be airlifted to Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on February 28, taking the number of these big cats in India to 46, officials said on Monday. The batch from Botswana, comprising six females and two males, will reach Gwalior on an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane and then be ferried by helicopters to KNP at around 9:30 am on February 28, MP Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Subharanjan Sen told PTI.

This is the third batch of cheetahs being brought in from Africa, after previous introductions from Namibia and South Africa.

Cheetah Project Field Director Uttam Sharma told PTI enclosures have been prepared at KNP, where the animals will remain in quarantine for about a month.

"Five helipads have been built for their safe landing, and IAF helicopters have already completed trial runs. The arrival of more cheetahs will strengthen India's cheetah revival programme. With the support of the central government, we aim to increase the population to 50," Sharma asserted.

The cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, went extinct in India nearly seven decades ago.

Eight cheetahs were first flown from Namibia in September 2022, followed by 12 from South Africa in February 2023.

Last year, India saw the birth of 12 cubs, though six, including three cubs, did not survive. This year, between February 7 and February 18, eight cubs were born in two litters.

In all, 39 cubs have been born at KNP since 2023, of which 27 have survived.

Namibia-born Jwala and Aasha, South Africa-born Gamini, Veera and Nirva, and India-born Mukhi have all produced litters at KNP, officials said.

Three cheetahs have been moved to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur district, while 35 remain at KNP, they added.