President Droupadi Murmu visited Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park yesterday and reviewed the progress of Project Cheetah, India’s flagship initiative to reintroduce the species in the wild after its extinction in the country.

 

During the visit, the President toured the park’s Cheetah Management Area and was briefed by officials on the status of the project. Kuno, the country’s first cheetah reintroduction site, has been developed under Project Cheetah because of its suitable habitat, adequate prey base and relatively low human disturbance.

 

President Droupadi Murmu went on a safari at Kuno National Park this morning. The President will also interact with members of the Sahariya tribe working as Cheetah Mitras, cheetah trackers, local forest personnel and tourist guides to learn about their experiences and role in the project.

 

Earlier, on Sunday, President Murmu visited the Cheetah Command and Control Centre at Kuno and viewed an exhibition related to the cheetah project. Officials informed her that India currently has 52 cheetahs, of which 49 are in Kuno National Park, while three have been shifted to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. She was also briefed about the monitoring and tracking system used for the animals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction project in 2022 by releasing eight cheetahs brought from Namibia into Kuno National Park on his birthday. Subsequently, more cheetahs were brought from South Africa and Botswana.