Project Cheetah Turns Four as India's Cheetah Population Reaches 52

Exam-focused facts from the 18 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Project Cheetah, launched at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, completed four years on September 17, 2026, with India's cheetah population standing at 52, including 32 born in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight wild cheetahs from Namibia into special enclosures at Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022.
Of the 52 cheetahs, 49 are in Kuno National Park and three are in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, both in Madhya Pradesh.
Three of the eight Namibian cheetahs are alive, and with 22 cubs born in India, the surviving Namibian-origin population totals 25; of 12 cheetahs imported from South Africa on February 18, 2023, eight survive, and with ten cubs their population stands at 18 (15 in Kuno, three in Gandhi Sagar).
Nine cheetahs were brought to India from Botswana in February 2026, strengthening the international base for cheetah restoration.
Of the 49 cheetahs in Kuno, 17 are in open forest (10 males, seven females) and 32 are in soft-release enclosures, including five males, eight females, and 19 cubs under one year of age.
The next phase of the programme involves expanding suitable cheetah habitats and establishing a long-term cheetah meta-population in India.