Officials have announced that eight cheetahs will be brought to India from Botswana in southern Africa in two phases, with four expected to arrive by May. According to a statement from the Madhya Pradesh government, this update came from officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) during a review meeting of the cheetah project held in Bhopal on Friday. The meeting was attended by Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

"Efforts are underway to bring more cheetahs from South Africa, Botswana, and Kenya to India. Eight cheetahs will be brought to India in two phases. There is a plan to bring four cheetahs from Botswana to India by May. After this, four more cheetahs will be brought. At present, consent is being developed on an agreement between India and Kenya," according to the release, NTCA officials made this statement.

NTCA officials told the meeting that over ₹112 crore has been spent on the cheetah project so far, with 67% of the funds going towards cheetah rehabilitation in Madhya Pradesh. "Under Project Cheetah, cheetahs will now be relocated in a phased manner in the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. The sanctuary is adjacent to the border of Rajasthan, so an in-principle agreement has been reached between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to establish an inter-state cheetah conservation area," as per the release.

The report stated that special training is being provided to "cheetah mitras" at Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary to strengthen their skills.

During a recent meeting, forest officials shared that Kuno National Park is currently home to 26 cheetahs, 16 roaming freely in the forest and 10 housed in enclosures at the rehabilitation centre. They also mentioned that the cheetahs are monitored around the clock using satellite collars for tracking. Officials noted that female cheetahs Jwala, Asha, Gamini, and Veera have all given birth to cubs, and the number of visitors to the park has doubled over the past two years.

"The state government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking permission to start a cheetah safari in Kuno. This permission is necessary to start a safari in the forest or eco-sensitive zones. The decision on this petition is yet to be made," according to the release.

On September 17, 2022, eight cheetahs from Namibia, five females and three males, were released into Kuno National Park (KNP). It marks the foremost intercontinental relocation of these big cats. In February 2023, an additional 12 cheetahs were brought to KNP from South Africa. As of now, Kuno National Park is home to 26 cheetahs, including 14 cubs born in India.