India’s cheetah population reaches 52, four years after reintroduction

The status review, titled “Four Years of Cheetahs in India,” says 32 cubs have been born in India since the programme was relaunched.

Out of the 52 cheetahs, 49 are currently in Kuno National Park, while three are in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. Covering the period from September 17, 2022, to September 17, 2026, the review notes that the total includes surviving animals and their India-born offspring from Namibia and South Africa, as well as newly introduced cheetahs from Botswana.

Among the 12 South African cheetahs brought in on February 18, 2023, eight are still alive. Along with 10 cubs born in India, this takes the South African-origin population and its progeny to 18. Of these, 15 are housed in Kuno National Park and three in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

Kuno National Park said the presence of established breeding females and the survival of second-generation cubs, four years into the initiative, represent a key consolidation phase for India’s cheetah reintroduction efforts.