India lost its cheetah in the 1950s. In 2022 the animal came back, flown in from Africa. How did that happen?
This lesson tells the story from extinction to the first releases. It then explains who runs the project and covers the October 2026 shooting of a young cheetah at Kuno.
- Lost: the last three were shot in 1947. The species was declared extinct in 1952.
- Back: 8 cheetahs from Namibia on 17 September 2022, then 12 from South Africa in February 2023.
- Where: Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
- Who runs it: the Environment Ministry, with NTCA in the lead.
- December 2025: 30 cheetahs in India.
- October 2026: a young cheetah dies of pellet injuries.
How Did India Lose Its Cheetah?
When did the cheetah disappear?
The last cheetahs in the Indian wild were recorded in 1947. Three animals were shot in the Sal forests of Koriya district, now in Chhattisgarh.
In 1952 the species was officially declared extinct in India.
Sources: PIB: South Africa translocation, 16 February 2023; PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025.
Why did it vanish?
Hunters and bounty seekers took many animals. Others were caught from the wild for coursing, which means hunting with a tame cheetah.
Farms and towns replaced grassland. Prey animals declined too. A low birth rate and a narrow gene pool made the loss worse.
Sources: PIB: South Africa translocation, 16 February 2023; PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025 (causes of loss).
Check 1
The last wild cheetahs in India were shot in 1947, and the species was declared extinct in 1952.
What did the Supreme Court say?
In April 2013 the Supreme Court quashed the Environment Ministry’s order to bring African cheetahs to Kuno. It said no detailed scientific study had been done. It also said the National Board for Wild Life had not been consulted.
In January 2020 the Court changed course. It allowed African cheetahs to be introduced, under a committee headed by M.K. Ranjitsinh.
Sources: Supreme Court judgment, 15 April 2013; Down To Earth: Supreme Court order, 28 January 2020.
What is the Action Plan?
NTCA unveiled the Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India on 5 January 2022. It planned to bring 50 cheetahs to Indian parks over five years.
Kuno was picked as the first site. India moved 24 villages (1,545 families) out of it. That left about 6,258 hectares of undisturbed grassland.
Sources: PIB: NTCA meeting and Action Plan, 5 January 2022; PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025.
How Did the Cheetah Come Back?
What happened in 2022 and 2023?
India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Namibia in July 2022. On 17 September 2022 the Prime Minister released the first eight cheetahs at Kuno. They were five females and three males.
A South Africa MoU followed in January 2023. In February 2023, twelve cheetahs arrived from South Africa. Seven were male and five were female.
Sources: PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025; PIB: South Africa translocation, 16 February 2023.
How were they moved?
Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster planes carried the cheetahs. The journeys covered more than 7,900 km, and PIB reports no deaths in transit.
This was the world’s first intercontinental move of a large carnivore, according to PIB. Experts from both African countries helped with capture and release.
Sources: PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025 (air transfer).
Did more cheetahs follow?
Yes. In November 2025, Botswana gifted eight cheetahs to India, says PIB.
India-born cheetahs matter too. Mukhi, the first cub born on Indian soil, had five cubs of her own in November 2025.
Sources: PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025 (Botswana gift).
How many cheetahs does India have?
As of December 2025, India had 30 cheetahs. There were 12 adults, 9 sub-adults and 9 cubs.
Of these, 11 were founder animals brought from Africa. The other 19 were born in India.
Sources: PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025 (population count).
Check 2
The first eight cheetahs came from South Africa in September 2022.
Who Runs the Project, and How Is It Going?
Who is in charge?
The Environment Ministry (MoEFCC) leads the project. NTCA, the National Tiger Conservation Authority, drives it on the ground. Our Project Tiger and NTCA article explains the body.
Phase 1 had a budget of Rs 39 crore. It sits inside the Centrally Sponsored Scheme Project Tiger.
Sources: PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025 (who leads).
What is the long-term goal?
India wants 60 to 70 cheetahs across 17,000 sq km. The plan links Kuno with the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, about 300 km away.
Gandhi Sagar is a 368 sq km sanctuary. PIB calls it ready for the next phase. The target date is 2032.
Sources: PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025 (future plan).
What about the deaths?
By late May 2023, six cheetahs had died at Kuno. Three were adults and three were cubs. The Centre then set up an 11-member Steering Committee to oversee the project.
PIB said in September 2023 that none had died of unnatural causes. Unnatural causes include poaching, snaring, poisoning and retaliatory killing.
Sources: Outlook: Steering Committee, 26 May 2023; PIB: Project Cheetah progress, September 2023.
Check 3
By September 2023, PIB said no cheetah had died of poaching, snaring or poisoning.
How are villagers involved?
Over 450 Cheetah Mitras work in the villages around Kuno. They raise awareness and report cheetah movements.
The aim is to make villagers partners in protection.
Sources: PIB Backgrounder, 12 December 2025 (Cheetah Mitras).
Current Affairs: The Cub Shot Near Kuno, October 2026
What happened?
A 19-month-old male cheetah, KNG22, was found injured on 25 October 2026. It was in territorial forest in Morena, outside Kuno National Park. It is the offspring of the cheetah Nirva.
It was rescued the same day from the Sheopur Territorial Forest Division. Surgeons at a Jabalpur veterinary facility removed five firearm pellets. It died on 27 October 2026.
Sources: PIB: High-level team to probe cheetah death, 28 October 2026.
Who is investigating?
The Madhya Pradesh Government set up a Special Task Force of forest and police officers. The Centre has also sent a team.
The team has three officers. One is the Inspector General of Forests of NTCA. Two come from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB): an Additional Director and a Regional Deputy Director. PIB did not name any suspect.
Sources: PIB: High-level team to probe cheetah death, 28 October 2026 (investigation).
What does the law say?
The cheetah is listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Section 51 punishes offences against Schedule I animals harshly.
Jail is at least three years and up to seven years. The fine is at least Rs 25,000. A repeat offence needs a fine of at least Rs 1 lakh.
Sources: Indian Kanoon: Section 51, Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; FAOLEX copy of the Act (updated 1 April 2023), Schedule I.
Check 4
Under Section 51, an offence against a Schedule I animal carries a jail term of at least three years.
So what? Our Current Affairs card has the full story. PIB links the death to firearm pellet injuries. Cheetahs roam widely. PIB records one female and her cubs using a 6,160 sq km range. Safe land beyond the park boundary therefore matters as much as safety inside it.
Exam Traps
Do not mix the two dates. 1947 is the last shooting, and 1952 is the official extinction.
The first eight cheetahs came from Namibia in September 2022. The twelve from South Africa came in February 2023.
Schedule I offences under Section 51 mean at least three years in jail and a fine of at least Rs 25,000.
MCQ on Project Cheetah in India
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