India’s Cheetah Count Reaches 52 After Four Years of Reintroduction

India’s cheetah population has grown to 52, four years after the country launched its ambitious programme to bring the big cats back from Africa. The initiative involved the translocation of cheetahs from Namibia, South Africa and Botswana and is regarded as the first intercontinental transfer of large wild carnivores.
A status review titled “Four Years of Cheetahs in India” said 32 cubs have been born in India since the reintroduction programme began.

At present, 49 cheetahs are in Kuno National Park, while three are housed in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. The review covers the period from September 17, 2022, to September 17, 2026, and includes surviving animals from the original translocations as well as their India-born offspring and later arrivals from Botswana.
Among the 12 cheetahs brought from South Africa on February 18, 2023, eight have survived. They have produced 10 cubs born in India, taking the total number of South African-origin cheetahs and their descendants to 18. Of these, 15 are currently in Kuno and three in Gandhi Sagar.

Kuno National Park said the survival of breeding females and the successful survival of second-generation cubs indicate that the reintroduction programme has entered an important phase of consolidation.