Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 11 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released two female cheetahs into the open wild at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district on Monday.
These two female cheetahs are part of the recent Cheetah batch brought from Botswana in February this year after the completion of their quarantine period and acclimatisation process.
"Madhya Pradesh has scripted a new chapter in history. Today, at Kuno National Park, we released two female cheetahs, brought from Botswana, into the open wild and natural habitat, thereby embodying the spirit of coexistence with nature. It is a matter of pride for us that now Cheetahs started living here as our own family. Sometimes Cheetah also reaches Rajasthan. They are wandering in various parts of the Chambal region," CM Yadav told ANI.
He also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav and people associated with the Cheetah project for their efforts in making India's ambitious cheetah conservation initiative successful.
"This project represents a magnificent gift bestowed upon us through the efforts of our Prime Minister. I would like to extend greetings to PM Modi, Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav, officers of the state forest ministry who worked hard on this Cheetah project," the CM added.
Recently, a male cheetah, KAP12, had moved into a human-dominated landscape in Rajasthan and was successfully rescued from the Sawai Madhopur district on May 8.
The big cat, originally released into the wild on February 5, 2025, had recently strayed far from the protected boundaries of KNP, venturing into areas inhabited by local populations. To ensure the safety of both the cheetah and the residents, wildlife officials initiated a special operation.
The cheetah was safely tranquillised, transported, and re-released into his natural habitat at Kuno.
Under Project Cheetah, India has been steadily rebuilding its cheetah population since the historic reintroduction initiative began in September 2022. Initially, eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia, followed by 12 cheetahs from South Africa in 2023. In February 2026, nine additional cheetahs, including six females and three males, arrived from Botswana, taking the total cheetah population in India, including cubs born in the country, to 53.
Kuno National Park continues to emerge as a symbol of India's commitment to wildlife conservation and ecological restoration, with the release of the Botswana cheetahs expected to further strengthen the success of the world's first intercontinental translocation project of large carnivores.
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