Two South African cheetahs released in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

Link copied successfully!

Cheetahs have been relocated to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh from Kuno National Park (M.P).

These Cheetahs were originally brought to the Kuno National Park from South Africa in February 2023 Under Project Cheetah.

About Project Cheetah

It is a landmark wildlife conservation initiative launched in 2022.
Aim: At reintroducing cheetahs to India after their extinction in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Implementing agency: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
Technical Assistance: Provided by Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
Cheetah Project Steering Committee: Established by NTCA in 2023 to oversee, evaluate, and advise on implementation of Project Cheetah.
- NTCA is a statutory body under Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006.
Prime Objectives:
- To establish breeding cheetah populations in safe habitats across its historical range.
- To use cheetah as a charismatic flagship and umbrella species to garner resources for restoring open forest and savanna systems.
- To use the ensuing opportunity for eco-development and ecotourism to enhance local community livelihoods.

World’s fastest Mammal and the only large carnivore to be extinct in India (1952).
Protected under Appendix 1 of CITES.
Unlike other big cats (lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars) cheetahs don’t roar.
Geographical range:
- Asia: Found only in arid regions of eastern Iran and India (After Reintroduction).
- Africa: Found in in grasslands, scrublands and open forests across the continent, especially in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
Two Species of Cheetahs exists :
- African Cheetah (IUCN Status- Vulnerable).
- Asiatic Cheetah (IUCN Status- Critically Endangered).