- Madhya Pradesh will receive eight cheetahs from Botswana on February 28 to aid reintroduction efforts
- The Centre and state governments coordinated closely, with full logistical support assured by the Ministry
- Discussions included expanding wildlife conservation beyond cheetahs, involving wild buffalo translocations
Madhya Pradesh is set to take another decisive step in global wildlife conservation with the arrival of eight cheetahs from Botswana on February 28, strengthening India's ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme. The move comes amid close coordination between the state and the Centre, with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change assuring full logistical and procedural support.
The roadmap for the cheetah transfer was finalised during a high-level meeting between Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Dr Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Speaking after the meeting, Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav said the discussions went beyond cheetahs and focused on the state's vast reserve forest belt, which plays a crucial role in tourism, biodiversity, and livelihoods. "We discussed the large belt of reserve forests in Madhya Pradesh, which is extremely important for our tourism industry. We also discussed bringing wild buffaloes from other states, particularly Assam, and sought assistance in procedural matters.
Cheetahs will also be arriving from Botswana around February 28. We are satisfied that the Madhya Pradesh government, working hand-in-hand with the Government of India, will move forward with all necessary steps to further enhance our wildlife resources," the Chief Minister said.
Forest officials said preparations are already underway to ensure smooth quarantine, monitoring, and integration of the incoming cheetahs into India's expanding cheetah landscape.
The arrival from Botswana builds on the momentum of Project Cheetah, which has already placed India at the centre of global conservation discourse.
The world's first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore was successfully completed in 2022-23, when 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were brought to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally released the first eight cheetahs at Kuno National Park on 17 September 2022. India has 30 cheetahs: 12 adults, 9 sub-adults, and 9 cubs, of which 19 were born on Indian soil. Mukhi, the first cheetah cub born in India, has herself become a mother to five healthy cubs, marking a critical second-generation milestone.
What began as a closely watched conservation experiment is now transitioning into phase-wise expansion. With Botswana joining Namibia and South Africa as source countries, India is steadily building the genetic diversity needed to establish a self-sustaining cheetah metapopulation.
Wildlife experts note that Madhya Pradesh is central to this vision, with Kuno National Park already supporting a growing cheetah population and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary lined up for the next phase.
