Some cheetahs to be shifted from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar sanctuary on April 20: CM Mohan Yadav

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said some cheetahs will be shifted from Kuno National Park (KNP) in the state's Sheopur district to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary on April 20.

At present, Kuno National Park has 26 cheetahs, including 14 India-born cubs. Of which, 17 are roaming in the wild at KNP, while nine are in enclosures.

In a statement on X, Yadav said the Cheetah Project will be expanded to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary on April 20, adding that it will prove to be an important step towards wildlife conservation.

"A consignment of some cheetahs will be released there (Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary) on April 20," Yadav said.

Sources said the plan is to shift two cheetahs to the sanctuary that day.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav reviewed the Cheetah Project with Yadav and state government officials.

Eight Namibian cheetahs, comprising five females and three males, were released in KNP on September 17, 2022, marking the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the big cats.

In February 2023, 12 more cheetahs were translocated from South Africa to KNP.