The Road Ahead: Sustaining India’s Cheetah Conservation Dream
Team of veterinarians attend to a cheetah in Kuno National Park
On 17 September 2022, India achieved a historic milestone with the groundbreaking transcontinental translocation of eight cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi personally oversaw this project. A year later, on 18 February 2023, 12 more cheetahs (from South Africa) arrived, reinforcing efforts to establish a sustainable metapopulation of this iconic species in India. And this year, on 4 February 2025, Cheetah Aasha, affectionately named so by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, was released in the wilderness of Kuno National Park along with her three India-born male cubs.
Cheetah Gamini taking a leisurely stroll with her cubs. This serene moment underscores the stress-free
environment of Kuno
Our Hon’ble Prime Minister has been a pivotal force behind Project Cheetah, championing ecological restoration and positioning India as a leader in global conservation. His vision reflects India’s broader commitment to biodiversity conservation, focusing on reviving lost species, restoring ecological balance, promoting harmonious coexistence between wildlife and humans, and fostering economic stability for local communities through sustainable ecotourism and conservation-driven opportunities. During the launch of Project Cheetah, he emphasised the critical role of reintroducing apex predators in maintaining ecosystem health and highlighted India’s conservation achievements as a global model.
The release of Cheetah Aasha’s cubs is indeed a significant milestone. Led by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Mr Mohan Yadav, the release of Aasha’s cubs marked the first-ever successful reintroduction of India-born cheetahs into the wild. This achievement not only reflects India’s dedication to biodiversity conservation but also serves as an inspiring example of how collaborative efforts can lead to meaningful and sustainable outcomes for wildlife and ecosystems.
Project Cheetah has advanced steadily and in the right direction, thanks to the capable and dedicated leadership of field managers from the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, officials from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, and the scientific community of Wildlife Institute of India (WII). This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the relentless efforts of on-ground field staff, committed forest personnel, and passionate researchers from WII. Their unwavering dedication, expertise, and hard work have been the driving force behind the success of this ambitious initiative.
Through this article, I would also like to shine a light on the remarkable veterinary achievements that have been instrumental in the progress of Project Cheetah. These milestones, which hold a special place in my heart, have been pivotal to the project’s success. From ensuring the health and adaptability of the cheetahs during their translocation to addressing medical challenges post-release, the veterinary team’s contributions have been nothing short of extraordinary.
The introduction of cheetahs into a new environment is a complex and delicate process, involving not only their translocation but also their adaptation to an entirely different ecosystem. Death is a natural part of life, and the introduced cheetahs did experience some post-translocation mortality during the acclimatisation phase. While all deaths were due to natural causes, the onset of an unseasonal winter coat led to infections, resulting in four consecutive mortalities.
Despite intense media scrutiny and public pressure, the veterinary team remained steadfast in their commitment. In a remarkable display of skill and dedication, they successfully located, captured, and treated all the remaining cheetahs already roaming in the wild within just four days. Their swift and decisive actions were pivotal in stabilising the health of the remaining cheetahs during this critical period.
It is also worth noting that despite cheetahs being particularly vulnerable to the stress of capture and capture-related deaths, the veterinary team of Project Cheetah has not lost a single animal in capture endeavours, even after performing numerous anesthesia-based captures over the past two years. Their ability to execute such procedures with impeccable precision, while ensuring the safety and well-being of the cheetahs, speaks volumes about their expertise and dedication. Kudos to the team!
Breakthrough in Cheetah Population Expansion
Cheetahs are notoriously sensitive to environmental stress, making successful breeding and propagation in new settings a formidable challenge. Their unique reproductive needs and sensitivity to surroundings often result in low breeding success rates, even in conservation breeding initiatives. Despite these hurdles, the veterinary team at Kuno National Park has achieved a remarkable milestone by creating a stress-free environment and implementing dedicated husbandry practices, promoting natural breeding among the introduced cheetahs.
This achievement is underscored by five successful breeding instances, resulting in the birth of 21 cubs so far, with the first successful breeding occurring within just one year of introduction of the sub-species. Notably, Namibian female Jwala has littered twice in the two and a half years since her arrival. Kuno National Park is now home to 14 surviving cubs: 1 approximately 2 years old, 11 over a year old, and 2 just a few weeks old. This remarkable success serves as nature’s endorsement of the project, particularly given the delicate balance required to maintain a stress-free environment while fostering natural mating and littering behaviours. Such an accomplishment is not only a milestone for Project Cheetah but also a significant leap forward in global cheetah conservation efforts.
It is noteworthy that eleven of these Indian-born cubs are already thriving in free-ranging conditions alongside their mothers. They have demonstrated remarkable adaptation to Kuno’s environment, exhibiting successful predatory behavior and skilfully navigating the challenges posed by leopards and other carnivores in the area. The veterinary team’s achievements here yet again demonstrate how meticulously coordinated efforts can overcome even the most formidable challenges in wildlife conservation. Their work not only highlights the potential for success in such complex initiatives but also marks a significant stride toward restoring and sustaining cheetah populations.
Unlike zoological settings, cheetahs in the free-ranging conditions of Kuno National Park face the inherent risks and challenges of the wild. Given that every individual from the founder population is critical to the project’s long-term success, ensuring their well-being is of utmost importance. The veterinary team has time and again played a pivotal role in safeguarding these cheetahs, providing timely and expert interventions that have saved multiple lives. One notable example is the veterinary care provided to Agni and Vayu, a coalition of two males who sustained limb fractures during a fierce territorial battle with the rival coalition of Elton and Freddie. For animals that depend on speed and agility to survive, such injuries could have been fatal. However, the swift response and proficient treatment by the veterinary teams from Cheetah Project and School of Wildlife Forensics and Health (SWFH) Jabalpur ensured their full recovery. Today, Agni and Vayu have reclaimed their place in the Kuno’s free-ranging landscape, engaging in high-speed chases, hunting successfully, and thriving as independent wild cheetahs.
PM of India releasing cheetah on 17th September 2022
A standout success of the veterinary team is the survival of Mukhi, the lone female cub from Kuno’s first litter. Born during the peak summer heat, her siblings tragically succumbed to the harsh conditions, leaving Mukhi’s survival in jeopardy. The team took on the delicate task of hand-rearing her, and today, nearly two years old, she has grown into a resilient individual. Currently undergoing rewilding, Mukhi has already begun hunting independently and is poised for release into Kuno’s wilderness.
As we look ahead, the progress of Project Cheetah thus far offers immense hope, not only for the revival of cheetahs in India but also for global wildlife restoration efforts. It stands as a remarkable testament to how scientific precision, strategic foresight, and dedicated fieldwork can bring a lost species back to its rightful habitat.
The path forward will demand unwavering commitment, adaptive management, and continued collaboration among conservationists, policymakers, scientists, and local communities. Yet, if this journey has demonstrated anything, it is that perseverance and collective resolve can turn even the most ambitious conservation dreams into reality. As India charts a new course in conservation history, let us embrace this spirit of stewardship, ensuring that these magnificent cats once again roam freely in their ancestral lands. Most importantly, let us take a moment to celebrate and honour the selfless, dedicated veterinarians of Project Cheetah. Their expertise, resilience, and unwavering commitment remain the foundation of this pioneering initiative, ensuring the health, survival, and well-being of these extraordinary animals.
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