Cheetahs on the Move: A New Chapter at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

Two cheetahs, Prabhash and Pavak, will be relocated from Kuno National Park to the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in India. This move is part of an initiative started three years ago to translocate the big cats. The cheetahs will travel over 250 km by road to reach their new home.

In a significant development for wildlife conservation in India, two six-year-old cheetahs, Prabhash and Pavak, are set to be relocated from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park to a new habitat at the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. This marks a notable step in the ambitious project started nearly three years ago to translocate cheetahs from Africa to India.

According to Uttam Kumar Sharma, the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, preparations for the relocation have been completed. The cheetahs will embark on a journey spanning more than 250 kilometers, taking six to seven hours by road, to reach their new home where Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will officially release them.

Originally brought from South Africa's Waterberg Biosphere Reserve in February 2023, Prabhash and Pavak are part of a larger cohort of cheetahs, including eight from Namibia and twelve from South Africa, successfully established at Kuno National Park. Looking ahead, the National Tiger Conservation Authority is planning to bring eight more cheetahs from Botswana to further bolster the population.

(With inputs from agencies.)