BHOPAL: India has prepared a new home for cheetahs at the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, forest officials said on Thursday.
The update was shared during an event at Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal to mark four years of the cheetah programme.
India first brought eight cheetahs from Namibia in 2022, then 12 from South Africa in 2023, and nine more from Botswana in 2026. The country now has 52 cheetahs. This includes 32 cubs born in India. Currently, 49 cheetahs live in Kuno National Park, and three live in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Forest officials said the cheetahs in Gandhi Sagar have adapted well and are hunting wild prey like blackbuck and deer. The goal is to spread cheetahs across different natural areas rather than keeping them in one place.
Officials also shared an interesting story about two young male cheetahs. Male cheetahs usually form teams only with their brothers. However, an Indian-born cheetah named KNG23 and a Botswana-born cheetah named CCB4 have formed a partnership. Even though they are not related, the two have chosen to live together.
More than 200 students attended the event to learn about wildlife protection.
