Two South African cheetahs released in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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    Two South African cheetahs released in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

    Posted 21 Apr 2025

    2 min read

    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.

    About Cheetah 

    • 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).
    • Tags :
    • Project Cheetah
    • Kuno National Park
    • Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary
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