Today, 28 February 2026, marks a significant milestone in India’s wildlife conservation journey as eight cheetahs from Botswana have landed at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh under the ambitious Project Cheetah- the country’s flagship program to restore the world’s fastest land mammal to its native habitat after nearly seven decades of extinction in India.
This arrival (the third batch of African cheetahs) includes six females and two males. They were flown from Botswana aboard an Indian Air Force aircraft, touching down at Gwalior Airport after a flight of approximately nine to ten hours. From there, specially equipped IAF helicopters transported the big cats to Kuno, where they arrived between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. today.
Senior leaders including Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav are present to witness this historic moment as the cheetahs are settled into quarantine enclosures prepared at the park. Over the next month, forestry and veterinary teams will monitor their health and adaptation before gradually introducing them to larger habitats.
With today’s addition, India’s cheetah population will rise to around 46, reinforcing the project’s goal of establishing a thriving, genetically diverse population in the wild. Previous batches brought eight cheetahs from Namibia in 2022 and twelve from South Africa in 2023, with several of these animals now breeding successfully on Indian soil.
Project Cheetah is not just about numbers. This international translocation signifies a major leap in global conservation. Kuno National Park, with its rich grasslands and prey base, has become the heart of the initiative, drawing worldwide attention to India’s commitment to biodiversity.
The program has already witnessed promising signs of adaptation, with cheetahs giving birth to cubs in Kuno—a landmark achievement since the big cat once disappeared from Indian landscapes in the early 1950s.
Today’s arrival of African cheetahs not only boosts population numbers but also strengthens hopes for a future where these majestic predators once again race across the plains of India, a powerful testament to sustained conservation efforts and international cooperation.