Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that the third batch of eight cheetahs from Botswana is scheduled to reach India on February 28. This decision came after a meeting with Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi. Discussions during the meeting focused on tourism development, reserve forest expansion, and wildlife conservation in Madhya Pradesh.
Chief Minister Yadav highlighted the state government’s readiness to welcome the new cheetahs and requested support from the Centre. He mentioned plans to bring wild buffaloes from Assam and the arrangements for the arrival of the cheetahs. The cheetah reintroduction project in the Kuno National Park has seen the relocation of 20 cheetahs so far, with the current population exceeding 30, including cubs.
Madhya Pradesh has prepared Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary as a second home for the cheetahs. Two male cheetahs and a female cheetah were already shifted there from Kuno National Park. A team from Botswana, along with officials from NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India, visited Gandhi Sagar in December 2025 to review the preparations and expressed satisfaction with the facilities.
