Milestone Achievement: Three More Cheetahs Set for Release into Kuno National Park on International Cheetah Day

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav will commemorate International Cheetah Day on Thursday with a significant advancement for wildlife conservation. He will release three cheetahs from a large enclosure into the open forest at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district. This moment represents India's remarkable progress in reintroducing the world's fastest land animal to its historical habitat.

Project Cheetah was presented to Madhya Pradesh three years ago through Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative.

PM Modi inaugurated the project on his birthday - September 17 - in 2022 by releasing the initial batch of eight cheetahs in Kuno Palpur. These cheetahs were transported from Namibia as part of an ambitious effort to revive the species in India, where it had become extinct decades earlier.

Since the project's inception, the cheetah population in Kuno Palpur and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary has expanded to thirty-two.

The project has received national recognition, including the Innovative Initiatives Award. The cheetahs have adapted exceptionally well to Indian conditions. Their success is demonstrated by the birth of six litters from five female cheetahs in just three years. The cheetahs have not only survived but have successfully reproduced, proving that the project is both sustainable and scientifically sound.

International Cheetah Day serves to raise awareness about the challenges facing the species, including habitat destruction, declining prey populations, and poaching. The observance emphasizes the necessity for coordinated global action to protect and restore cheetah populations.

Currently, Kuno National Park houses 29 cheetahs, with 16 already roaming freely. Three more will join them following their release tomorrow. The Chief Minister will visit Kuno to oversee the release and witness the cheetahs' first exploration of their completely natural environment.

The Forest Department and park authorities have finalized all preparations for this important event. Tracking teams, monitoring units, and security arrangements have been established to ensure the cheetahs' safety and to closely study their movement patterns in the upcoming weeks.

This release represents another milestone in India's ongoing efforts to reestablish cheetahs in the wilderness where they once thrived.

The event follows a significant breakthrough earlier this November when Mukhi - an Indian-born cheetah at Kuno National Park - made history by giving birth to five cubs. At 33 months old, Mukhi has become the first India-born female cheetah to reproduce since Project Cheetah began. Her success is being celebrated as a turning point for the ambitious cross-continental reintroduction program.

When cheetahs were reintroduced to India three years ago, many conservationists questioned whether the animals would adapt, establish territories, or breed in unfamiliar conditions.

Mukhi, born in Kuno, answers all those questions. Her successful reproduction demonstrates that cheetahs are not merely surviving but are establishing themselves in the Indian landscape in a manner that promises a stable future for the species.