Project Cheetah at four years: India's cheetah population reaches 52, including 32 cubs born here

India's cheetah population has reached 52, including 32 cubs born in the country, as Project Cheetah completes four years on September 17, 2026, officials said. Forty-nine of the big cats are in Kuno National Park and three in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, both in Madhya Pradesh.

The programme began on September 17, 2022, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight wild cheetahs brought from Namibia into special enclosures at Kuno National Park. The cheetah had been declared extinct in India in 1952, and the reintroduction is described by officials as the first attempt of its kind to move the species between continents.

Officials listed the survival of cubs, success in breeding and the movement of cheetahs into open forest areas as the programme's main milestones over the four years. A total of 32 cubs have been born in India so far.

The results, officials said, came after a difficult beginning. "The team faced many challenges in the first year of cheetah reintroduction. During this time, they gained experience in cheetah behaviour, health, and management adapted to Indian conditions," an official said in a statement.

In the second year, attention shifted to the survival and development of cubs born in India. According to an official document, 13 cubs survived for more than a year after birth.

In 2025, the third year, cheetahs were released into open forest areas. They were monitored round the clock across an interstate landscape spanning 12 districts, officials said, adding that the animals gradually adapted to the new areas.

The fourth year brought what officials consider two significant achievements: the establishment of breeding females and the survival of a second generation of cubs born in India.

Giving details of the lineages, an official said three of the eight cheetahs imported from Namibia are alive. These, along with 22 cubs born in India, bring the number of surviving Namibian-born cheetahs and their offspring to 25.

Twelve cheetahs were imported from South Africa on February 18, 2023, and eight of them are alive. With 10 cubs born in India, the population of surviving South African-origin cheetahs and their offspring stands at 18. Of this group, 15 are in Kuno National Park and three in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

In February this year, nine cheetahs were brought to India from Botswana, officials said, further strengthening the international base for cheetah restoration in the country.

Of the 49 cheetahs at Kuno, 17 are in the open forest, including 10 males and seven females. The remaining 32 are in soft release enclosures, comprising five males, eight females and 19 cubs under one year of age.

The next phase of the programme involves expanding suitable habitat for cheetahs and establishing a long-term cheetah metapopulation in India. Officials said the expansion from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar and other potential cheetah habitats is aligned with this goal.