India’s cheetah population has risen to 52, including 32 cheetahs born in the country, according to the four-year status review of the cheetah reintroduction programme. Of the total population, 49 cheetahs are currently in Kuno National Park and three in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
The “Four Years of Cheetahs in India – A Status Review (September 17, 2022–September 17, 2026)”, released by Kuno National Park, said the population comprises surviving cheetahs and their offspring from Namibia and South Africa, along with cheetahs recently introduced from Botswana.
According to the review, of the eight Namibian cheetahs introduced on September 17, 2022, three are currently surviving, along with 22 Indian-born offspring. This takes the total surviving Namibian-origin population and its progeny to 25.
Of the 12 South African cheetahs introduced on February 18, 2023, eight are surviving, along with 10 Indian-born offspring, taking the total South African-origin population and progeny to 18. Of these, 15 are in Kuno National Park and three are in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
Meanwhile, nine cheetahs from Botswana were introduced on February 28, 2026.
The review said that of the 49 cheetahs in Kuno National Park, 17 — including 10 males and seven females — are in the wild, while 32 — including five males, eight females and 19 cubs below one year of age — are housed in Soft Release Bomas.
Highlighting the progress of the programme, Kuno National Park said that the establishment of breeding females and the survival of second-generation cubs mark an important consolidation phase in India’s cheetah reintroduction programme.
The review traced the programme’s progress over the past four years. The first year was marked by learning, adaptation, setbacks and recovery, while the second year saw successful breeding and the survival of 13 cubs for more than a year.
During the third year, cheetahs were released into the wild and monitored round-the-clock across an inter-state landscape covering 12 districts, where they successfully navigated and survived.
The fourth year has been described as a phase of establishment, with cheetahs displaying natural ecological behaviour and the programme moving towards expansion to additional sites.
Kuno National Park said the reintroduction programme has now moved beyond simply protecting the introduced cheetahs and is increasingly focused on ensuring that India-born generations survive and establish themselves in the wild.
-ANI
