Bhopal, February 4: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav met with Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Following their meeting, the Chief Minister announced that the third batch of cheetahs from Botswana will arrive in India on February 28, consisting of eight cheetahs.
During the meeting, CM Yadav discussed various issues related to tourism development, the expansion of reserved forests, and wildlife conservation in Madhya Pradesh. He also briefed the Union Minister on the state government’s preparations to receive the new batch of cheetahs and sought necessary support from the central government.
In a conversation with reporters after the meeting, CM Yadav stated, “Madhya Pradesh is also working on a plan to bring wild buffaloes from Assam. We discussed the necessary arrangements and cooperation for the arrival of the eight cheetahs from Botswana on February 28.”
The ambitious cheetah reintroduction project was initiated at Kuno National Park (KNP) located in Sheopur district of the Gwalior-Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh. Under this project, eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia on September 17, 2022, and 12 cheetahs were transferred from South Africa on February 18, 2023.
A total of 20 cheetahs have been released in two phases at Kuno National Park, with nine adult cheetahs having died so far. Despite these losses, the current population of cheetahs in Kuno has exceeded 30 due to the birth of cubs.
Ahead of the arrival of the third batch of eight cheetahs, the Madhya Pradesh government has prepared a second habitat for these big cats. The Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the state’s Mandsaur district, has been designated as the second home for the cheetahs.
Recently, two male cheetahs, Prabhas and Pawak, were relocated from Kuno National Park to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, while a female cheetah, Dhira, was sent there last September.
In December 2025, a team from Botswana visited the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary to review all preparations, including quarantine enclosures, control rooms, and veterinary facilities, in collaboration with senior officials from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and experts from the Wildlife Institute of India. The team expressed satisfaction with the arrangements.
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