Kuno National Park, located in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, is preparing to welcome its third large batch of cheetahs from the African continent. The eight cheetahs, consisting of six females and two males, will be airlifted from Botswana with the welcome party composed of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. The cheetahs are scheduled to take off on Friday night from Botswana via an aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF). This move follows the previous arrivals of cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa, marking an important continuation of the cheetah reintroduction project in India.

The flight from Botswana to Gwalior is estimated to take around nine to ten hours. Upon arrival in Gwalior, two IAF helicopters will transport the cheetahs to Kuno National Park, where they are expected to arrive early Saturday morning. This addition will boost the total cheetah population in India to 46, reflecting the ongoing efforts to reestablish the species in its historic range after nearly 70 years of absence from the Indian subcontinent.

The Cheetah Project Director, Uttam Sharma, emphasized that stringent quarantine and security measures are in place for the new arrivals. Dedicated enclosures have been prepared within the park, where the cheetahs will undergo a month-long quarantine to ensure their health and safety before they are introduced to the larger habitat. This project not only aims to revive the cheetah population but also holds significant ecological implications for biodiversity and conservation efforts in India.