Reintroducing the Cheetah to India — history, Project Cheetah timeline & latest update 

Quick headline: A batch of eight cheetahs is scheduled to be translocated from Botswana to Kuno National Park on 28 February 2026 — the third African source country to send cheetahs under India’s Project Cheetah. Once these animals arrive, the national cheetah population is expected to rise to around 46 (recent births at Kuno have also boosted numbers).

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1. Why this matters (short answer for prelims/mains)

• The cheetah’s return is a landmark species reintroduction programme — the species had gone locally extinct in India in the mid-20th century and its revival raises questions of conservation science, ethics, land-use policy and international wildlife cooperation.

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2. Historical background (concise, factual)

Asiatic cheetah in India

• India’s native subspecies was the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus). Over the 19th–20th centuries, hunting, habitat loss and prey depletion caused severe declines. The last well-documented killings of wild cheetahs in central India date to the 1940s; the species was formally declared extinct in India in the mid-20th century.

Why they disappeared

• Large-scale hunting (including capture for royal coursing), rapid agricultural expansion, fragmentation of open grassland habitats and decline of prey species (blackbuck, chinkara, nilgai) removed the ecological basis for cheetahs’ survival.

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3. Project Cheetah — timeline & milestones

Origins & legal clearance

• The idea to reintroduce cheetahs to India dates back to academic and policy discussions in the 2000s. After legal scrutiny and a Supreme Court clearance for a trial translocation, the project moved ahead in 2022.

Major translocation batches

• September 2022: First batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia arrived and were placed in quarantine/enclosures at Kuno.

• February 2023: Twelve cheetahs flew in from South Africa (second major source). Releases into the wider park followed in 2023.

• Feb 2026 (upcoming): Eight cheetahs from Botswana — third African partner — scheduled for Kuno on 28 Feb 2026, taking the total in India close to 46 (combined with recent cub births).

Breeding & in-situ reproduction

• Multiple litters have been reported at Kuno since 2023 (including recent births in February 2026), which is central to Project Cheetah’s objective of establishing a self-sustaining population. Reports indicate dozens of cubs born since translocation began, though survivorship has varied.

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4. Latest update (Feb 2026) — facts you can quote in answers

• Date of arrival: 28 February 2026 (scheduled).

• Source country: Botswana (third African partner after Namibia and South Africa).

• Expected national count after arrival: ~46 cheetahs (figures combine adults translocated + recent cubs born at Kuno).

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5. Conservation science: successes, challenges & data points

Successes

• Live births at Kuno — first cheetah cubs born in India in over 70 years (since reintroduction began), showing potential for reproduction in the new environment.

• International cooperation — agreements with southern African countries for technical support, veterinary care and translocations.

Challenges & concerns

• Mortality in initial phases: Some cheetahs died in early months — causes ranged from infections to collar-related injuries and adaptation stress. These deaths prompted scrutiny and adaptive management changes.

• Genetics & subspecies debate: India reintroduced African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus), not the Asiatic subspecies — a point of scientific/ethical discussion about genetic suitability and IUCN translocation guidelines.

• Habitat & prey base: Ensuring adequate grassland area (degree of human-wildlife coexistence), robust ungulate prey populations, and connectivity is essential for long-term viability.

• Human dimensions: Relocation of people, livestock grazing, and anti-poaching enforcement are sensitive governance issues that affect project outcomes.

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6. Wider policy & governance implications (UPSC angles)

Biodiversity policy

• Project Cheetah intersects with Species Recovery, Habitat Restoration, Protected Area Management, and International Treaties.

Federal-state coordination

• Union and state (Madhya Pradesh) coordination on land management, funding, and community outreach is critical — a good case study for Centre–State relations in environmental governance.

Constitutional & ethical questions

• Balancing conservation priorities with local livelihoods, compensation, and resettlement decisions raises ethical and policy trade-offs (GS II/III answer fodder).

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7. How to use this topic in your answers (Mains + Essay prompts)

Mains (GS-III) — Possible angle: “Project Cheetah is a pioneering example of species reintroduction in India. Discuss the scientific, socio-economic and governance challenges involved.”

Structure: definition → brief history → project milestones → science & management → policy recommendations → balanced conclusion.

Essay — Themes: “Conservation in a crowded country”, “India and international environmental cooperation”, or “Restorative justice for lost species”.

Prelims tips

• Remember translocation chronology: Namibia (2022) → South Africa (2023) → Botswana (2026).

• Key place: Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh) is the primary release site.

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8. Quick revision checklist (bullet points for answer writing)

• Last native cheetah extinction in India: mid-20th century (last documented killings in the 1940s; declared extinct by early 1950s).

• Project Cheetah started translocations in 2022 (Namibia).

• Third source country Botswana sending 8 animals on 28 Feb 2026 → national count ≈ 46.

• Key issues: mortality, subspecies/genetics, prey base, habitat size, community engagement, anti-poaching.

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