Mini Review

Cheetah conservation in Madhya Pradesh and India

Audarya SD¹*, Chatur Y², Niranjan AK¹, Das BC³, Mishra AK⁴ and Singh AP⁵

¹Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, India

²Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, India

³Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, India

⁴Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, India

⁵Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, India

Submission: January 15, 2025;Published: January 27, 2025

*Corresponding author: Audarya SD, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Kuthuliya, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India

How to cite this article: Audarya SD*, Chatur Y, Niranjan AK, Das BC, et al. Cheetah conservation in Madhya Pradesh and India. Ecol Conserv Sci. 2025; 4(5): 555646. DOI:10.19080/ECOA.2025.04.555646

Abstract

Madhya Pradesh is the second largest state, geographically and also ranks first for possessing recorded forest area in India. The state also has 10 national parks and 25 wildlife sanctuaries. Apart from tigers, it boasts several wildlife faunae. The ‘tiger state’ hosts a sizable number of tigers and came into the limelight again when the Prime Minister of India released the first batch of eight cheetahs (five females and three males) from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure (called as bomas of 0.5 to 1.5 square kilometres) at Kuno National Park on 17^th September 2022. The Kuno National Park was a preferential locality to introduce cheetahs due to its favourable habitat, safe space, sufficient prey base and large landscape. A total of twenty African cheetahs were brought in from South Africa and Namibia for the conservation of cheetahs in India. Presently 24 cheetahs (12 cubs born in Kuno National Park) are kept in hunting/soft-release enclosures.

Keywords: Madhya Pradesh; Cheetah; Kuno national park; India; Conservation

Abbreviations: KNP: Kuno National Park; NGOs: Non-Governmental Organizations

Introduction

Madhya Pradesh is proudly placed in the top rank in India for its forest cover. Forests play a very important role in securing nutrition and habitat to its enormous biodiversity. Mammals, reptilians, birds are spotted in the forests Anonymous [1,2]; Audarya [3]. KNP was a preferential locality to introduce cheetahs due to its suitable habitat, safe space, sufficient prey base and large landscape. The national park is about 748 square kilometres in size. It is free from any human settlements. The national park forms part of the larger Sheopur-Shivpuri dry deciduous open forest landscape covering 6,800 square kilometres. The cheetah that we see today is the only existing representative of the genus Acinonyx. It acquired special morphological adaptations for its speed. There are five existing subspecies of the cheetah in the world (Northwest African cheetah- Acinonyx jubatus hecki, East African cheetah- Acinonyx jubatus fearsoni, South African cheetah- Acinonyx jubatus jubatus, Northeast African cheetah- Acinonyx jubatus soemmerringi and Asiatic cheetah- Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) Anonymous [4]; National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Institute of India and Madhya Pradesh Forest Department [5]; Soni et al. [6]. This mini review will discuss the efforts of cheetah conservation in Madhya Pradesh state and India.

Discussion

20 cheetahs were brought to India in two batches, eight (comprising five females and three males) from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023. India considered sourcing new cheetahs from Somalia, Tanzania, Sudan, and countries closer to the Equator or in the Northern Hemisphere to avoid biorhythm complications in big cats brought from Southern Hemisphere countries such as South Africa and Namibia. KNP in the last quarter of 2024 hosts 24 cheetahs out of which 12 Indian-born cubs and 12 adults. A total of 17 cubs were born in India. A total of the 5 cheetah cubs born on Indian soil were dead. The Namibian cheetahs (renamed) Jwala (with five cubs), Asha (with three cubs), Nabha and Gaurav were alive while four, Shaurya, Pawan, Dhatri and Sasha were dead. The South African cheetahs (renamed) Agni, Vayu, Prabhas, Pavak, Veera, Dheera, Nirva and Gamini (with four cubs) were alive while four, Tejas, Uday, Sooraj and Daksha were dead as reported by Himanshu Nit aware in Down To Earth online magazine on 17th September 2024. As reported in Economic Times on 19th September 2024, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan state landscapes will be used to house 60-70 cheetahs after the provisions as an interstate cheetah conservation complex within the next 25 years under the umbrella of Project cheetah. The notable events and timeline in cheetah reintroduction in India:

a) 1952: The cheetah was declared officially extinct in India

b) 1970s: Negotiations with Iran began to exchange Asiatic lions for Asiatic cheetahs

c) 2012: The Supreme Court of India blocked the project for species translocation

d) 2020: The Supreme Court of India allowed for import of small numbers on an experimental basis

e) 2021: The Indian government released a cheetah action plan

f) September 17, 2022: Eight cheetahs from Namibia were transported to KNP

g) February 18, 2023: Twelve cheetahs from South Africa were transported to KNP

h) March 24, 2023: Four cubs born to Siyaya (Namibian), first cheetah birth in India in over 70 years

i) April 2023: All cheetahs were given Indian names

j) January 3, 2024: Asha gave birth to three cubs

k) January 16, 2024: Shaurya died suddenly

l) January 23, 2024: Jwala gave birth to four cubs

m) March 2024: Gamini gave birth to six cubs

n) September 2024: 24 cheetahs surviving (12 adults and 12 cubs)

Conclusion

Conservation of an extinct species in the country is a herculean task. Kuno National Park from Madhya Pradesh state in India witnessing the births of cheetah cubs is just the beginning. Dr. Laurie Marker, Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund summarized the importance of Project cheetah: “Project cheetah exemplifies how nations can come together to address the formidable challenges of conservation. The survival of the cheetah is not a responsibility that falls solely on one country’s citizens or one NGO’s fundraisers. We must share a commitment to protecting biodiversity on a global scale before there are no more cheetahs left.”

References

1. Anonymous (2019a) ENVIS Centre of Madhya Pradesh’s State of Environment.
2. Anonymous (2019b) Madhya Pradesh.
3. Audarya SD (2020) Madhya Pradesh forests in India and its wildlife. JOJ Wildlife and Biodiversity 2(3): 555590.
4. Anonymous (2010) Project cheetah: an overview. Ministry of Environment and Forests.
5. National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Institute of India and Madhya Pradesh Forest Department (2023) Introduction of cheetah in India - Annual report 2022-23. Technical report. New Delhi, Dehradun and Bhopal.
6. Soni VK, Tomar AK, Tomar SS (2023) A case study for introducing African cheetah in Kuno National Park, Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, India. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology 44(9): 23-30.