Overview

• Environment ministry officials say 8–10 cheetahs are likely to arrive in December from Botswana or Namibia, with a similar Kenya cohort expected next year.
• Negotiations are underway with all three countries, and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav recently engaged his Namibian counterpart on cheetah cooperation.
• Two additional release sites have been readied for future relocations: the Banni grasslands in Gujarat and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
• India now hosts 27 cheetahs, including 16 born in the country, with about 15 free‑ranging in Kuno National Park; current landscapes include Kuno and Gandhi Sagar.
• Officials report a 61% cub survival rate and 85.7% adult survival in year two, reinforcing plans for routine imports to build a multi‑site, self‑sustaining population.