India brought cheetahs back to a country where they had been declared extinct. Here is how the gamble is going.
On September 17, 2022, eight cheetahs from Namibia were released into Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. It was the first intercontinental relocation of a large carnivore of its kind, and an attempt to return the fastest land animal to India decades after it was declared extinct there.
Four years on, the project has a population, a growing list of Indian-born cubs, and a hard ledger of losses.
The count
As of mid-September, 52 cheetahs were alive, with 49 in Kuno and 3 in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. Thirty-two of them were born in India. In Kuno, 17 were roaming free, and 32, including 19 cubs under a year old, were living in large fenced enclosures used to ease animals into the wild.
Where they came from
- Namibia: 8 cheetahs arrived in September 2022.
- South Africa: 12 arrived in February 2023.
- Botswana: 9 arrived in February 2026.
The losses
Twenty-three cheetahs, adults and cubs, have died in Kuno since the project began. Critics have questioned whether the parks are large enough and whether prey is sufficient. Supporters point to the cubs as proof that cheetahs can breed on Indian soil.
A cub born wild in India is the project’s most important number, and its most fragile one.
Why it matters beyond India
Cheetahs are listed as Vulnerable, with most remaining wild animals in Africa. Every new, well-managed population spreads the risk. Whether Project Cheetah becomes a model or a warning will depend on what happens to those 19 cubs over the next few years.
The Cat House Foundation ■ Modeling for a Cause. Photo: Pexels.