- Project Cheetah is India’s cheetah reintroduction programme. It aims to restore cheetahs in India after the species was declared extinct in the country in 1952.
- It is considered the world’s first intercontinental large carnivore translocation project. Under this programme, African cheetahs were brought to India and released in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
- The project was launched in September 2022, when 8 cheetahs were brought from Namibia. Later, 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa in 2023.
Background
The Asiatic cheetah once existed in India, but it disappeared due to hunting, habitat loss and decline of prey. The last confirmed cheetahs in India were reported from present-day Chhattisgarh in the late 1940s, and the species was officially declared extinct in India in 1952.
Project Cheetah was started to restore the ecological role of the cheetah in India’s grassland and open forest ecosystems. The first release site was Kuno National Park, which had earlier also been prepared as a possible second home for Asiatic lions.
Objectives
The main aim of Project Cheetah is not only to bring back one species, but to restore degraded grassland and savanna-type ecosystems.
The project aims to:
• Reintroduce cheetahs in India
• Restore their ecological role as a top predator
• Improve conservation of grasslands and open forests
• Promote biodiversity conservation
• Support eco-tourism and local livelihoods
• Develop a long-term cheetah metapopulation in India
A metapopulation means a connected or managed population spread across multiple suitable habitats rather than depending on one site alone.
Present Status
Project Cheetah has seen both progress and setbacks.
- As of December 2025, Kuno supported around 30 cheetahs. India also received a further batch of 8 cheetahs from Botswana, taking the programme into its next phase. The government stated in February 2026 that India’s cheetah population had reached 48, including cubs.
- In 2026, two Botswana cheetahs were released into the wild in Kuno after completing quarantine. This marked another step in expanding the free-ranging population.
- However, the project has also faced deaths of adult cheetahs and cubs. These deaths have raised concerns about adaptation stress, disease, climate suitability, monitoring and habitat management.
Importance
Project Cheetah is important because it brings attention to India’s neglected grassland ecosystems. Conservation in India often focuses on forests and charismatic species like tigers, but grasslands also support important biodiversity.
Cheetah conservation can help protect:
• Grasslands
• Open forests
• Prey species such as chinkara and blackbuck
• Dryland ecosystems
• Local eco-tourism potential
The project also strengthens India’s global conservation image. It shows India’s willingness to attempt complex species restoration with international cooperation from countries such as Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.
Challenges
The biggest challenge is habitat suitability. Cheetahs need large open landscapes with adequate prey and low disturbance. Kuno is relatively small for a growing cheetah population, so long-term success will require multiple sites.
The second challenge is mortality. Deaths of adults and cubs have shown that translocation is biologically risky. Imported cheetahs face stress, new climate conditions, infections, parasites and unfamiliar prey landscapes.
The third challenge is human-wildlife interaction. If cheetahs move outside protected areas, they may enter human-dominated landscapes, creating risks for both animals and local communities.
Key concerns include:
• Limited habitat space
• Cheetah deaths and cub mortality
• Disease and parasite risk
• Adaptation to Indian climate
• Need for sufficient prey base
• Dependence on continuous monitoring
• Conflict with local communities
• Long-term genetic diversity
This is why experts argue that Project Cheetah should not depend only on Kuno. Other sites such as Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary are being prepared as future cheetah habitats.
Conclusion
Project Cheetah is an ambitious attempt to restore an extinct species in India. Its success will depend on habitat expansion, prey availability, disease control, scientific monitoring and support from local communities.
