Context:

In a major milestone for India’s cheetah reintroduction programme, recently two male cheetahs—Prabhash and Pavak—have been successfully relocated from Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, under the project cheetah.

About Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, spanning 2,500 square kilometers across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, offers an ideal habitat with its combination of grasslands, dry deciduous forests, and riverine evergreen patches. The sanctuary has been deemed suitable for a population of up to 10 cheetahs.

Concerns

The fenced release area needs a minimum prey density of 26–35 animals per square kilometer, amounting to 1,560–2,080 prey animals annually. Currently, there are 475 prey animals available within the area, need 1,500 more animal —mainly chital, blackbuck, and nilgai.

The sanctuary’s high leopard population, particularly in the West Range, where around 70 leopards reside. Leopards pose a significant threat to cheetah cubs and also compete for similar prey.

About Project Cheetah

Project Cheetah is an ambitious conservation initiative by the Government of India to reintroduce cheetahs into the wild after their extinction in 1952. Launched in 2022, project involves importing African cheetahs to establish a viable metapopulation in suitable habitats, promoting ecological balance and biodiversity.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is the primary implementing authority, with collaboration from the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and international experts. 

About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

·    The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It was established in 2006 under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.

Objectives of NTCA:

• • Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance of its directives becomes legal.
  • Fostering accountability of Center-State in management of Tiger Reserves by providing a basis for MoU with States within the federal structure.
  • Providing for an oversight by Parliament.
  • Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.

NTCA Composition:

• Chairperson: Union Minister in charge of MoEFCC
• Vice-Chairperson: Minister of State in MoEFCC
• Other Members:
• Three Members of Parliament (2 from Lok Sabha, 1 from Rajya Sabha)
• Secretary of MoEFCC
• Wildlife experts, conservationists, and officials from other ministries and state governments

Conclusion:

The move to Gandhi Sagar represents both a new beginning and a moment of reckoning for Project Cheetah—testing not just the adaptability of the cheetahs, but also the resilience and responsiveness of India’s conservation machinery.