India's cheetah reintroduction after 70-year extinction

Overview

India declared the Asiatic cheetah extinct in 1952—the only large predator to vanish from the country since independence. Seventy years later, the government launched Project Cheetah, flying in 20 African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park in a first-of-its-kind intercontinental carnivore translocation. Three and a half years in, the population has grown to 38, with 27 cubs born on Indian soil.

The program has faced significant mortality: eight of the original 20 adults died within two years, along with 12 cubs. But conservation officials point to nine successful litters and expansion to a second site at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary as evidence the population is stabilizing. Scientists estimate it will take 30 to 40 years and continued imports from Africa to establish a self-sustaining population.

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Key Indicators

Total cheetahs in India

Current population across Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

Cubs born on Indian soil

Nine successful litters since the program began

Cheetahs died

Includes 8 translocated adults and 12 cubs since 2022

Years extinct before return

Cheetahs declared extinct in India in 1952

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Mark Twain

(1835-1910) · Gilded Age · wit

Fictional AI pastiche — not real quote.

"Man is the only creature who, having first killed a thing off entirely, then moves heaven and earth—and apparently the whole of Africa—to bring it back again, and calls this wisdom. The cheetah, for his part, has not been consulted on the matter, but I suspect he is making the best of his peculiar situation, which is the most any of us can do."

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People Involved

Bhupender Yadav

Leading Project Cheetah oversight

Narendra Modi

Project champion and public face of the initiative

S. P. Yadav

Leading day-to-day project management

Organizations Involved

National Tiger Conservation Authority

Government Agency

Primary implementing body for Project Cheetah

India's apex body for tiger conservation, expanded to oversee cheetah reintroduction under Project Cheetah.

Kuno National Park

Protected Area

Primary cheetah habitat in India

A 748-square-kilometer national park in Madhya Pradesh selected as India's primary cheetah reintroduction site.

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary

Protected Area

Second cheetah habitat site established in 2025

A wildlife sanctuary on the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border designated as India's second cheetah site.

Timeline

January 1952 February 2026

12 events Latest: February 18th, 2026 · 3 months ago Showing 8 of 12

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February 2026
Ninth Litter Born: Population Reaches 38
Latest Breeding

South African cheetah Gamini gives birth to three cubs at Kuno, raising India's cheetah count to 38 on the third anniversary of South African arrivals.
February 18th, 2026
January 2025
Gandhi Sagar Receives First Cheetahs
Expansion

Two male cheetahs relocated from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, establishing India's second cheetah site.
January 1st, 2025
September 2024
Second Anniversary: Surviving Cheetahs Moved to Enclosures
Management

All 24 surviving cheetahs placed in protective enclosures. Supreme Court orders government to identify additional habitat sites.
September 17th, 2024
January 2024
Mortality Count Reaches Ten
Mortality

By early 2024, ten cheetahs have died from various causes including infections, humidity stress, and collar injuries.
January 1st, 2024
May 2023
Three Deaths in 45 Days
Mortality

Deaths of Uday and Daksha follow Sasha's, raising concerns about the program. Daksha died during a mating incident.
May 1st, 2023
March 2023
First Cubs Born in India
Breeding

Cheetah Jwala gives birth to four cubs at Kuno—the first cheetahs born on Indian soil in over 70 years.
March 27th, 2023
First Adult Death: Sasha
Mortality

Female cheetah Sasha dies from a pre-existing kidney condition, the first mortality among translocated adults.
March 1st, 2023
February 2023
South African Cheetahs Arrive
Milestone

Twelve additional cheetahs from South Africa join the Kuno population, bringing the total translocated adults to 20.
February 18th, 2023
September 2022
First Cheetahs Arrive from Namibia
Milestone

Prime Minister Modi releases eight cheetahs into Kuno National Park, marking the world's first intercontinental large carnivore translocation.
September 17th, 2022
January 2020
Supreme Court Reverses Ban
Legal

The court allows experimental cheetah imports, clearing the path for Project Cheetah after eight years.
January 1st, 2020
May 2012
Supreme Court Halts Reintroduction Plans
Legal

India's Supreme Court blocks cheetah imports, ruling that Kuno should be reserved for Asiatic lions from Gujarat.
May 1st, 2012
January 1952
Asiatic Cheetah Declared Extinct in India
Historical

After the last confirmed sighting in 1951, India officially declares the Asiatic cheetah extinct—the only large predator lost since independence.
January 1st, 1952

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Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

January 1995

Gray Wolf Reintroduction to Yellowstone (1995)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released 14 gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park, 70 years after the species had been deliberately exterminated there. The wolves had been captured in Canada and transported to the park.

Then

The initial wolves faced high mortality, but survivors bred successfully. The population grew to over 100 within five years.

Now

Wolves triggered a 'trophic cascade'—reducing elk overpopulation, allowing vegetation recovery, stabilizing riverbanks, and benefiting dozens of other species. Now considered one of conservation's greatest success stories.

Why this matters now

Like Project Cheetah, Yellowstone's wolf reintroduction faced early deaths and political controversy. The parallel suggests that initial mortality doesn't determine long-term success—ecological establishment takes decades.

1987 to present

California Condor Recovery Program (1987-present)

With only 27 California condors surviving, conservationists captured every remaining bird for captive breeding—a controversial decision at the time. Lead poisoning from ammunition and habitat loss had driven the species to the brink.

Then

Captive breeding succeeded, and releases began in 1992. Early mortality was high as captive-raised birds struggled with wild conditions.

Now

The population has grown to approximately 500 birds, with over 200 flying free. The program took 35 years to reach this point and still requires intensive management.

Why this matters now

The condor program demonstrates that large vertebrate recovery is measured in decades, not years. Project Cheetah's 30-40 year timeline aligns with this precedent. Both programs also show that 'wild' populations may require ongoing human management indefinitely.

1556 to 1947

Mughal Cheetah Hunting Tradition (1556-1947)

Emperor Akbar reportedly kept 9,000 cheetahs for hunting blackbuck antelope—part of a centuries-long practice of capturing wild-born cheetahs for royal sport. Because cheetahs rarely breed in captivity, this required continuous harvesting from wild populations.

Then

The practice provided spectacular hunting for Mughal and later Rajput courts, with cheetahs honored as prized hunting partners.

Now

Centuries of wild capture, combined with British-era trophy hunting and habitat loss, eliminated India's cheetah population entirely by 1952.

Why this matters now

Project Cheetah is attempting to reverse a human-caused extinction that unfolded over 400 years. The historical context explains why no native Asiatic cheetahs remain for reintroduction, requiring the use of African animals.