Project Cheetah | UPSC CSE

Why in News: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, along with the President of Botswana, H.E. Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, visited the Mokolodi Nature Reserve in Botswana. The two leaders witnessed release of captured cheetahs originating from the Ghanzi region into the quarantine facility by experts from India and Botswana.

Project Cheetah

• Launch Year: 2022
• Purpose: Reintroduce cheetahs — extinct in India since 1952 — and restore their role in grassland ecosystems.
• Implementing Agency:
  • National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • Implemented with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
• International Partner: Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Namibia — an NGO founded in 1990 for global cheetah conservation.
• Governance Mechanism: In 2023, NTCA constituted a Cheetah Project Steering Committee to supervise, evaluate, and advise implementation.

Cheetah Translocation Details

• First Batch (2022): 8 cheetahs (5 males, 3 females) from Namibia released in Kuno National Park.
• Second Batch (2023): 12 cheetahs from South Africa added to the population.
• Third Site (2025): Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary being prepared to receive the next batch of 8 cheetahs from Botswana.

Biological & Ecological Characteristics

• Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus
• Speed: Can reach up to 120 km/h, accelerating from 0–100 km/h in 3 seconds.
• Distinct Traits:
  • Cheetahs do not roar; they communicate via chirps, growls, and stutter barks.
  • Possess non-retractable claws aiding grip during high-speed chases.
• Diet: Purely carnivorous; prefer medium-sized ungulates like blackbuck and chital.

Conservation and Legal Protection

Protection Mechanism	Status
IUCN Red List	Vulnerable
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972	Schedule II
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)	Appendix I – highest trade protection

Ecological and Strategic Importance

• Reintroducing cheetahs restores India’s lost grassland predator and helps balance prey populations.
• Enhances eco-tourism potential and rural livelihoods in central India.
• Promotes scientific research, habitat restoration, and ecosystem-based wildlife management.

Source: PIB

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