MP's Gandhisagar wildlife sanctuary to get 5-8 cheetahs from South Africa

New Delhi: Five to eight cheetahs will be released into a fenced area in the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh possibly in the second half of the year with a focus on the breeding of animals and favourable weather, according to officials.

A South African delegation reached India on Tuesday to review preparations at Gandhisagar for the introduction of cheetahs and the progress of the project in the Kuno National Park.

"Officials from South Africa visited the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, and were apprised of preparations to receive cheetahs under the ambitious Project Cheetah. Valuable insights were shared while visiting the bomas, control room, and upcoming veterinary facilities," read a post on X by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

On Wednesday, the South African delegation met Indian officials in New Delhi, and discussions focused on strengthening collaboration between the two countries in species conservation, especially Project Cheetah.

Five to eight cheetahs will be released into a fenced area in Gandhisagar with a focus on breeding. This is expected to happen later this year, most likely after the monsoon, officials associated with the project told PTI on Thursday.

A 64 square-km enclosure is being prepared at Gandhisagar which is about a six-hour drive from Kuno. It is spread across 368 square km and has an additional 2,500 sq km area surrounding it.

The habitat around the fenced area in a protected area (PA), and animals will be released into free-ranging conditions in the Gandhisagar landscape in phases after ecological restoration and prey recovery, they said.

According to a document released by the Union Environment Ministry earlier this year, the long-term goal is to establish a metapopulation of cheetahs in the Kuno-Gandhisagar landscape (area around 9,000 square km) of 60-70 individuals after restorative measures, prey availability, and scientific management are ensured.

The current action plan, following the broad framework of the earlier action plan for the introduction of cheetahs in India, has been modified and formulated based on the experiences learned from Kuno suited for the site-specific requirements of Gandhisagar in consonance with the overarching guidelines of IUCN on reintroductions and conservation translocations (2013), the document read.

Project Cheetah aims to reintroduce the only large carnivore species that went extinct in independent India. The first batch of eight cheetahs was introduced in India in September 2022, and the second batch of 12 cheetahs was flown in from South Africa last February.

The much-vaunted cheetah conservation project initially drew criticism over the animals' deaths. However, with the birth of 12 cubs this year so far, officials say the project is on the right track.

Namibian cheetah Aasha gave birth to three cubs in January. Jwala, another female cheetah from Namibia, also gave birth to three cubs in the same month. She had delivered four cubs last year but only one of them survived. With South African cheetah Gamini giving birth to six cubs in March, the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno is now 26.

Since last March, seven adult cheetahs, including Shaurya, have died due to various reasons.

The seven adult cheetahs -- three females and four males -- that died include Sasha, Uday, Daksha, Tejas, Suraj, Dhatri, and Shaurya. The first six fatalities occurred in a six-month period between March and August 2023.