Botswana sends nine Cheetahs to Kuno, six females and three males, to Kuno National Park, and it’s a big deal for India’s wildlife scene. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released them into their new enclosures on Saturday, making this the third time cheetahs have made the journey from Africa to India. With these arrivals, there are now 48 cheetahs in India, and that number includes 28 cubs born right here and 20 adults brought over from Africa as part of Project Cheetah. The whole idea behind this effort is to bring cheetahs back to India after they vanished from the country decades ago.

A Landmark Intercontinental Translocation

This latest arrival is the third batch of cheetahs, following the arrival of 8 cheetahs from Namibia in September 2022 and another 12 from South Africa in February 2023. The first batch of cheetahs from Namibia was released by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. The translocation has been hailed as the first intercontinental translocation of wild cheetahs in the world.

The nine cheetahs have now been formally donated to India during the visit of the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, to Botswana last year. Before being sent to India, the cheetahs underwent quarantine at Botswana’s Mokolodi Nature Reserve.

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Seamless Airlift by the Indian Air Force

The cheetahs were flown to India on an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft from the 81 Squadron, which operates under the call sign Skylords. It landed at the Gwalior Air Base, from where the big cats were flown to Kuno on Indian Air Force helicopters. Yadav praised the precision, coordination, and dedication of the Indian Air Force to ensure the safe intercontinental flight of the big cats.

The minister described the operation as a proud moment, adding that the Indian Armed Forces were contributing to the conservation of the big cats beyond the call of duty. He also appreciated the support provided by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

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Quarantine, Monitoring, and Ongoing Challenges

While at Kuno, all cheetahs will spend a minimum of a month in the quarantine bomas. Every cheetah has been outfitted with a GPS tracking collar, and two veterinarians and support staff members will provide daily checks to monitor each cheetah’s health and welfare as they adapt to the habitat.

Of the 45 cheetahs at Kuno, three have been relocated to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur and Neemuch districts of Madhya Pradesh. As Botswana sends nine Cheetahs to Kuno, conservationists hope this renewed momentum will further strengthen India’s long-term vision of restoring a stable cheetah population in the wild.

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