Madhya Pradesh to introduce cheetahs to third reserve after century-long absence

Madhya Pradesh's cheetah reintroduction programme is set to expand with the planned release of two big cats into the Durgavati Tiger Reserve, ending a century-long absence of the species from the woodland. The move will make the reserve the third location in the state to participate in India's ambitious cheetah restoration initiative.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will oversee the release of the two cheetahs on October 7, continuing the state's efforts to rehabilitate populations of India's fastest land predator. The Durgavati Tiger Reserve, named after the legendary Gond queen, has been identified as suitable habitat for supporting a viable cheetah population.

The reintroduction comes as part of a broader strategy to restore cheetahs across multiple reserves in Madhya Pradesh, a state considered crucial for the species' long-term survival in India. Wildlife officials have assessed the reserve's prey base and habitat conditions as adequate for sustaining the released animals and enabling natural population growth.

Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952, but Africa-origin cheetahs have been reintroduced at select reserves since 2023 under Project Cheetah, a conservation initiative backed by the central government. The expansion to additional reserves underscores the programme's progress in establishing multiple populations across different regions to enhance genetic diversity and reduce extinction risk.