By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
A female cheetah was on Wednesday (September 17, 2025) released at the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district after the big cat was relocated from the Kuno National Park in Sheopur district.
Dheera, a 7.5-year-old African cat, was relocated to the sanctuary on the third anniversary of the Cheetah Project, a programme to reintroduce the species in the country.
Gandhisagar now has three cheetahs, including two males, Prabhas and Pawak, who were moved there from Kuno in April this year, making the sanctuary the second home of species since their reintroduction.
The three big cats wander inside a 64 sq. km. fenced enclosure at Gandhisagar, situated along the Chambal river.
The move is aimed at enhancing the cheetah population at Gandhisagar, according to officials.
Between Kuno and Gandhisagar, India currently has 27 cheetahs, including 11 adults translocated from African nations (six females and five males), and 16 Indian-born cubs.
“In just three years, Project Cheetah has seen the birth of multiple litters, with the cheetah population in India rising to 27, despite natural setbacks. A living symbol of resilience and hope,” the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) said on the third anniversary of the project.
The event also coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar, where he laid the foundation stone for India’s first PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park, and launched various other projects on September 17, his 75th birthday.
On the same day in 2022, Mr. Modi had released eight cheetahs translocated from Namibia at Kuno, kickstarting India’s cheetah reintroduction programme after their extinction in 1952. Later, 12 cheetahs were also brought from South Africa, and released at Kuno.
