India reported that nine cheetahs from Botswana—six females and three males—arrived at Kuno National Park on 28 February 2026. That differs from the eight-animal donation announced by the President’s Secretariat in November 2025; the official accounts reviewed do not explain the discrepancy.
How many cheetahs came to India from Botswana?
The number depends on which stage of the transfer is being described. The President of India’s Secretariat described an eight-cheetah symbolic donation on 13 November 2025. Botswana’s eight identified and captured animals were also cited in India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change account. But the Ministry reported that nine cheetahs arrived at Kuno on 28 February 2026: six females and three males. Neither account explains why the arrival count is one higher, so the figures should not be treated as interchangeable.
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| Event | Reported number | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Symbolic donation witnessed at Mokolodi Nature Reserve | Eight cheetahs | President of India’s Secretariat, 13 November 2025 |
| Animals identified and captured in Botswana | Eight cheetahs | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, December 2025 account |
| Arrival reported at Kuno | Nine cheetahs: six females and three males | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 28 February 2026 |
When did the Botswana cheetahs arrive in India?
The Ministry said the cheetahs travelled from Mokolodi Nature Reserve to Gaborone Airport on 27 February 2026. They were flown to Gwalior with Indian Air Force support and then transported by helicopter to Kuno, where they arrived on 28 February.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe transfer followed planning that began with formal India–Botswana discussions in December 2024. An Indian delegation visited Botswana in September 2025 to work through operational arrangements, transport and regulatory clearances. The Ministry said the eight animals it identified and captured in Botswana’s Ghanzi region were moved about 700 kilometres by road to Gaborone under continuous veterinary supervision. A Botswana delegation visited India in December 2025 to review preparations.
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What happened after the arrival?
On arrival, the Ministry said the animals entered quarantine for acclimatisation and health monitoring before any gradual release into the larger landscape. They were not all immediately free-ranging. In a later report, public broadcaster Akashvani said two female cheetahs from the Botswana group had been released into the wild at Kuno. That report does not establish the release status of the other animals.
How does this transfer fit into Project Cheetah?
Project Cheetah began on 17 September 2022 under India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with the National Tiger Conservation Authority spearheading the programme. Its stated aim is to reintroduce cheetahs in India after their extinction there. Kuno was identified as the country’s first reintroduction site. The first cheetahs came from Namibia in September 2022, followed by a batch from South Africa in February 2023; the Botswana arrivals were reported in February 2026.
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A December 2025 government background note set a long-term target of establishing a 60–70-cheetah metapopulation across 17,000 square kilometres in the Kuno–Gandhi Sagar landscape. This is a programme target, not an achieved population count. The same note said 24 villages involving 1,545 families had been relocated and nearly 6,258 hectares of grassland created at Kuno; those are Ministry-reported figures.
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What population count did India report?
On 28 February 2026, the Ministry reported 48 cheetahs in India, including 28 cubs born in the country. That is a dated government figure, not a verified national total for October 2026. The sources cited here do not establish a more recent count.
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