Project Cheetah: Kuno National Park Becomes Global Model for Wildlife Breeding Success

Key facts

• Project Cheetah was launched on September 17, 2022, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the world's first intercontinental translocation of large carnivores with eight cheetahs from Namibia.
• The cheetah population at Kuno National Park has reached 57, including 37 Indian-born cheetahs.
• A scientific breakthrough was achieved with the birth of four cubs to a two-year-old Indian-born female, marking the first second-generation birth and the first birth to occur entirely in the wild.
• Key breeding females contributing to the population growth include Gamini, Jwala, and Nirva.
• Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary is being developed as a second habitat to create a Kuno–Gandhi Sagar landscape capable of supporting 60–70 cheetahs.
• Early project setbacks included the death of nine out of the first 20 translocated cheetahs and the loss of ten cubs during infancy.