India Expands Cheetah Project: Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary Becomes New Home for Big Cats

BHOPAL — April 20, 2025: In a significant step toward wildlife conservation, the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has designated Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary as the second official cheetah habitat under the Central Government’s ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction Project. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav inaugurated the relocation by releasing two cheetahs into the sanctuary on Sunday, marking a new chapter in India’s efforts to reintroduce the extinct species.

This initiative comes after the successful rewilding of cheetahs at Kuno National Park, which currently hosts 26 cheetahs. Gandhi Sagar will now serve as a supplementary site to accommodate the increasing population and ensure the long-term success of the project.

Gandhi Sagar: A Strategic Expansion in Wildlife Preservation

Located across the Mandsaur and Neemuch districts in eastern Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary offers a rich and diverse ecological landscape. The region, notified as a sanctuary in 1984, is home to rare species including wild dogs, chinkara, leopards, otters, and crocodiles, alongside spotted deer, sambar, and gray langurs.

According to KK Joshi, Public Relations Officer, the site is an ideal candidate for the expansion of Project Cheetah, offering dense forest cover with flora such as salai, tendu, palash, and karhdhai, as well as historical significance due to ancient rock art and the Chaturbhujnath Temple.

International Collaboration and Future Plans

As part of the project’s expansion, India is importing cheetahs from Botswana, South Africa, and Kenya. The state government plans to bring in eight cheetahs from Botswana, with the first four expected by May 2025. Discussions are also underway to import more cheetahs from South Africa and Kenya.

Furthermore, a proposed interstate cheetah conservation corridor between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan has received principle approval, signaling a larger regional effort to preserve the species. So far, INR 112 crore (approx. USD 13.5 million) has been spent on Project Cheetah, with 67% invested in Madhya Pradesh alone.

Officials stress that this initiative is more than wildlife relocation — it is a symbol of India’s ecological revival, aiming to restore cheetahs, which had been extinct across India and much of Asia for decades.