Two cheetahs Pavak and Prabhas to be released in MP’s Gandhisagar sanctuary tomorrow

Under a regional translocation initiative, two male cheetahs named ‘Pavak’ and ‘Prabhas’ are set to relocate from Kuno National Park in Sheopur to Gandhisagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur on Sunday morning.

This marks a historic moment as it’s the first instance in India where cheetahs are being transferred from one protected area to another.

The journey is expected to take approximately eight hours, at the end of which the cheetahs will be introduced into a specially designed enclosure within Gandhisagar Sanctuary.

Pavak and Prabhas, have been in Kuno since 2023, were kept in observation last year due to neck infections.

Following their recovery to full health, they are now ready for their relocation to Gandhisagar, where they will undergo a phase of adaptation to their new surroundings.

After this transfer, Kuno National Park will be left with 24 cheetahs.

According to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the government is mulling over shifting more cheetahs to Chambal region too.

Speaking at a programme, he said on Saturday the government will consider shifting some cheetahs to Chambal region too, it would boost tourism in the area.

“It is the most important project which started under our visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this project will be a boost to our ecological system. The Union forest and environment minister has decided in an intensive review meeting. An 89-square-kilometer area has been meticulously prepared to help the cheetahs acclimate and thrive.”

With the transfer of Pavak and Prabhas, Kuno National Park will now house 24 cheetahs, out of which 17 roam freely in the wilderness. These comprise 13 cheetahs born in India and 11 of foreign origin.

For their new habitat in Gandhisagar, an expansive enclosure spanning 8,900 hectares has been constructed alongside a quarantine “boma” capable of housing 6–8 more cheetahs, officials said.

Teams of experts from Africa and Delhi have been involved in frequent inspections to ensure the area is ready. Rich wildlife diversity — including species like chital, chinkara, and nilgai — provides ample prey to sustain the natural hunting cycles of the cheetahs.

To ensure security post-relocation, the forest department has deployed 40 trained personnel and enlisted 90 local volunteers, nicknamed ‘cheetah friends’.

The sanctuary has been divided into three zones for effective surveillance, with a 16-km radius enclosure built for monitoring purposes. The cheetahs are being transported in air-conditioned vehicles under the close supervision of veterinarians and forest officials.

These specialists will carefully observe the cheetahs during the journey and continue their care for a week after their arrival. Project Cheetah is a reintroduction program aimed at bringing cheetahs back to India after their extinction in 1952.

The project’s primary location is Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, where cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were introduced in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

India’s native subspecies of the majestic animal became extinct in mid-20th century.

In September 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released few Cheetahs into the Kuno National park.