Cheetahs from Botswana released into quarantine enclosures at Kuno
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released cheetahs received from Botswana into quarantine enclosures at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, on 28 February 2026 under Project Cheetah.
Summary
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released cheetahs received from Botswana into quarantine enclosures at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, on 28 February 2026; the Minister said nine cheetahs, six females and three males, had arrived. The animals will go through acclimatisation and health monitoring before gradual release into the wider landscape. They were flown from Gaborone to Gwalior on 27 February in an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster and moved to Kuno by IAF helicopters. The cheetahs had been formally handed over during President Droupadi Murmu's visit to Botswana in November 2025. The Ministry said India now has 48 cheetahs, including 28 born in India. Project Cheetah began on 17 September 2022, when the PM released eight cheetahs from Namibia at Kuno in the world's first intercontinental translocation of a large wild carnivore.
Key facts
- Date and place
- 28 February 2026, Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh
- Source country
- Botswana
- Airlift
- IAF C-17 Globemaster, Gaborone to Gwalior (27 February); helicopters to Kuno
- Handover
- November 2025, during President Murmu's visit to Botswana
- Population
- 48 cheetahs, incl. 28 India-born cubs
- Project Cheetah began
- 17 September 2022, 8 cheetahs from Namibia
Practice MCQs 4 questions
From which country did the cheetahs released into Kuno National Park on 28 February 2026 come?
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Correct answer: B — Botswana
The cheetahs were received from Botswana under Project Cheetah.
Which aircraft flew the Botswana cheetahs from Gaborone to Gwalior on 27 February 2026?
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Correct answer: C — IAF C-17 Globemaster
The cheetahs were airlifted by an IAF C-17 Globemaster and then taken to Kuno by IAF helicopters.
According to the Environment Ministry on 28 February 2026, how many cheetahs does India now have?
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Correct answer: C — 48
India now has 48 cheetahs, including 28 India-born cubs.
Consider the following statements about Project Cheetah: 1. The first cheetahs under the project were released at Kuno on 17 September 2022 and came from Namibia. 2. The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct. The PM released eight cheetahs from Namibia at Kuno on 17 September 2022; PIB notes the cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952.