Third Batch of African Cheetahs to Arrive at Kuno National Park on Saturday

Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh | February 27, 2026: Eight cheetahs from Botswana, including six females and two males, are set to arrive at Kuno National Park on Saturday morning, February 28, 2026, as part of India’s ongoing cheetah revival program. This marks the third batch of African cheetahs being introduced to the park, following earlier arrivals from Namibia and South Africa.

The cheetahs will first be flown to Gwalior on an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, with a flight duration of around nine to ten hours. From there, two IAF helicopters will transport them to Kuno National Park, where they are expected to land between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Enclosures have been prepared at the park, and the animals will remain in quarantine for approximately a month before being released into larger habitats.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav will officially release the cheetahs into these enclosures. The park is equipped with five helipads to ensure their safe landing.

Since the start of the cheetah revival program, India has reintroduced cheetahs through intercontinental translocations. Earlier, eight cheetahs from Namibia were brought in September 2022, and another batch arrived from South Africa in February 2023. With the new arrivals, the total number of cheetahs in India will rise to 46, with three relocated to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and 35 remaining at Kuno.

The park has also witnessed successful breeding. Since 2023, 39 cheetah cubs have been born at Kuno National Park, of which 27 have survived. Cubs have been born to both Namibia- and South Africa-born cheetahs, as well as India-born Mukhi. Between February 7 and February 18 this year, eight new cubs were born in two litters, strengthening the population further.

Officials note that cheetahs are not kept in a single habitat to prevent the risk of disease outbreaks from affecting the entire population. The reintroduction of these endangered animals is a major step in restoring India’s native wildlife, as the cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal, became extinct in the country nearly seven decades ago.

The arrival of the third batch of African cheetahs is expected to bolster the cheetah revival program, with the government aiming to increase the population to 50 in the near future.