Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released a female cheetah from a quarantine enclosure into the jungle at Kuno National Park in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh. Photo: X/@CMMadhyaPradesh via PTI.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday (May 11, 2026) released two cheetahs brought from Botswana into the open forest of Kuno National Park after their quarantine period ended.
The reintroduction of cheetahs brought from Namibia, South Africa and now Botswana is achieving steady success and Madhya Pradesh has today earned national recognition as the ‘Cheetah State’, the CM said on the occasion.
Mr. Yadav released the female cheetah with identification numbers CCV-2 and CCV-3 at a spot on the banks of the Kuno river.
This will give impetus to ‘Project Cheetah’ and add another important chapter in India’s wildlife conservation history, the official said.
Preparation of cheetahs
The goal of the Gepard project is to restore endangered animal species in the state, increase their numbers and prepare them for free hunting and roaming.
CM Yadav said that Madhya Pradesh has embraced cheetahs and made them a part of its family.
“The cheetah reintroduction project was started in Kuno about three and a half years ago by the illustrious Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is progressing successfully. Madhya Pradesh is creating new records in this important project,” the CM said.
Madhya Pradesh is emerging as a major hub for religion, investment and genetic biodiversity, he noted.
After releasing two cheetahs, CM Yadav visited Kuno National Park.
The nine cheetahs – six females and three males – brought from Botswana to Kuno in February were kept in small enclosures to allow them to adapt to local conditions. Now their quarantine is over.
With the arrival of these cheetahs, the total number of cheetahs in India, including home-born cubs, has risen to 57, the official said.
This is the third major international phase of “Project Cheetah”.
Earlier, eight cheetahs were brought to India from Namibia on 17 September 2022, while 12 cheetahs arrived in Kuno from South Africa in 2023.
Wildlife experts believe Botswana’s cheetahs bring greater genetic diversity, which will help develop a healthy and sustainable population in Kuno.
They also expressed hope that these cheetahs would quickly integrate into the Kuno environment.
Preparations are underway to relocate some of the cheetahs to other sanctuaries like Gandhi Sagar and Nauradehi in MP after the quarantine and acclimatization process is complete, the official added.
(This copy was corrected after publication)
Published – 12 May 2026 05:04 IST
