New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday that the current Cheetah population in the country stands at 53, of which 33 are Indian-born.

Chairing a review meeting of Project Cheetah, Yadav said, “Survival rates of introduced individuals and cubs have been found to be in line with, and in certain cases, better than, global benchmarks, demonstrating the effectiveness of scientific management and monitoring protocols.”

He said the implementation strategy adopts a landscape-based approach for long-term sustainability.

“Kuno National Park has been developed as the primary site for establishment of the population, while Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary has been prepared as an additional habitat to support further expansion,” the Minister said in a statement.

These sites are part of a larger, interconnected landscape across central India that facilitates dispersal and genetic exchange.

Preparatory work is also underway to expand the project to new areas, including the Banni grasslands in Gujarat, where habitat readiness and prey augmentation measures have reached satisfactory levels, he said.

The meeting was held to assess the progress of Project Cheetah and deliberate on the future course of action. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the MoEFCC, project experts, and senior field officers.

In a message on X, the Environment Minister said, “With the first International Big Cat Alliance Summit 2026 just weeks away, chaired a high-level review meeting of Project Cheetah to assess the progress of the programme and deliberate on the future course of action.”

“The meeting was attended by senior officials of @MoEFCC, project experts, and senior field officers associated with wildlife conservation in the country,” he wrote.

“Project Cheetah continues to make steady progress and stands as a globally significant conservation initiative. With continued scientific guidance, institutional support, and coordinated implementation, the project is well-positioned for long-term success and is expected to contribute substantially to cheetah conservation and restoration of open natural ecosystems in the country,” said Yadav.

Project Cheetah is a pioneering initiative to reintroduce cheetahs in India after their extinction in the country.

The programme was initiated through the translocation of a founder population of 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa, which was further supplemented by 9 cheetahs from Botswana, through coordinated international cooperation and scientific planning.

–IANS

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