New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) India’s cheetah story has entered a new phase. After the species disappeared from the country in the 1950s, Project Cheetah brought the animal back in 2022.
India’s cheetah reintroduction programme began in September 2022, when eight cheetahs were brought from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
In February 2023, another 12 cheetahs arrived from South Africa, marking the start of a larger effort to establish a viable cheetah population in India after the species became extinct in the country in 1952.
Today, Madhya Pradesh is the centre of the programme, with Kuno National Park, where an India-born cheetah gave birth to five cubs on October 5, taking the total feline count to 60, and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary forming the country’s two operational cheetah sites.
Other landscapes in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan are being prepared or assessed for future expansion.
For a wildlife traveller, Kuno and Gandhi Sagar, both in Madhya Pradesh, are currently the two most relevant destinations for India’s reintroduced cheetahs as only they are operational now.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on October 7 released two cheetahs named ‘Vyom’ (male) and ‘Neera’ (female) into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Sagar district as part of the conservation project.
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) says preparations and deliberations are continuing for other landscapes.
For a wildlife adventurist, however, it is important to distinguish between a place where cheetahs are already being managed and a landscape that is still being prepared for them. Here is a look at the major cheetah reserves in India.
Madhya Pradesh
When it comes to cheetah conservation in India, Madhya Pradesh leads the way, emerging as the country’s foremost hub for the revival of the fastest land animal.
The central Indian state’s Kuno is the starting point of India’s modern cheetah journey. Located in the Sheopur district, the park lies in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh and has a landscape of dry deciduous woodland, open grasslands, riverine stretches and gently undulating terrain.
Kardhai, salai and khair dominate parts of the vegetation, while grasslands provide important habitat for prey such as chital, sambar and nilgai.
The first eight cheetahs arrived from Namibia in September 2022, followed by 12 from South Africa in February 2023.
Kuno remains the principal free-ranging cheetah landscape and has become the most important destination for anyone following India’s reintroduction experiment.
For visitors, the most suitable period is October to March, when temperatures are more comfortable and the forest is comparatively pleasant. The wider tourism season extends beyond this period, subject to forest regulations.
Cheetah sightings, however, cannot be guaranteed and visitors should follow the designated safari arrangements.
From state capital Bhopal, Kuno is around 400-450 km by road, depending on the route and entry point.
Gwalior is considerably closer and is about 175 km from the park.
Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, another cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh, offers a markedly different setting.
Spread around the Gandhi Sagar reservoir in the Mandsaur and Neemuch region, the sanctuary combines open country, hillocks, ravines, woodland and the vast backwaters of the Chambal.
The undulating terrain and open stretches make it particularly interesting from a cheetah-habitat perspective. The sanctuary became India’s second operational cheetah site in 2025. Two male cheetahs, Prabhas and Pavak, were moved there from Kuno, followed later by a female, Dheera.
A fenced natural area of about 64 square km was created as part of the initial establishment programme. For a general wildlife trip, October to March is the most comfortable period.
Early mornings and late afternoons are preferable for wildlife activity.
Travellers should check the latest forest-department entry arrangements because cheetah viewing is governed by the management programme rather than conventional mass tourism.
Gandhi Sagar is around 340-370 km from Bhopal by road, depending on the route.
Another cheetah habitat is Nauradehi that represents the next frontier of the project rather than an established cheetah tourism destination.
The sanctuary now forms part of Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve and contains large expanses of open woodland, grassland and undulating country. Its scale and relatively extensive natural landscape make it valuable for creating a larger cheetah metapopulation. Government planning has identified Nauradehi as one of the landscapes being prepared for future cheetah introduction. Travellers should therefore not visit expecting a guaranteed cheetah safari.
For wildlife tourism in the broader landscape, October to March is the preferable season. Nauradehi is around 200-250 km from Bhopal, depending on the access point.
Gujarat
The Banni Grasslands of Kutch present perhaps the most dramatic contrast to Kuno. This vast arid grassland lies between the Great Rann of Kutch and the more settled parts of Kutch.
The landscape is marked by open plains, thorny vegetation, seasonal wetlands and salt-affected terrain.
The Indian government has identified Banni as a future cheetah landscape and a conservation-breeding facility is being developed there. It should therefore be regarded as a prospective cheetah destination rather than a place where visitors can currently book a conventional cheetah safari.
Winter is the most rewarding period for exploring Kutch, particularly from November to February. The cooler weather also brings large numbers of migratory birds to the region.
Banni region is around 350-400 km from Gandhinagar, while Bhuj is the practical base for a wildlife traveller.
Rajasthan
Shahgarh, in western Rajasthan near the Pakistan border, is another landscape being considered for the future expansion of India’s cheetah programme. Its attraction lies in its vast, dry and open desert ecosystem.
The terrain is dominated by sandy stretches, sparse vegetation and grassland-like patches, offering a landscape quite different from the wooded country of Kuno. It is important to stress that Shahgarh is a proposed landscape and not an established cheetah tourism reserve.
A visit today should therefore be planned as a desert and wildlife landscape experience rather than as a cheetah safari.
The best season is from October to March, when daytime temperatures are more manageable. Jaisalmer, rather than Jaipur, is the practical gateway. From Jaipur, Shahgarh is more than 600 km away by road.
The traveller’s cheetah map
India’s cheetah conservation programme is deliberately being built around a network of landscapes rather than a single park.
Kuno provides the principal base, Gandhi Sagar has become the second operational site, while Nauradehi, Banni and Shahgarh represent the broader expansion strategy. For a wildlife traveller, this distinction matters.
Kuno and Gandhi Sagar in Madhya Pradesh are the places most closely associated with India’s present cheetah population.
The other landscapes offer an opportunity to see how India is rebuilding the open ecosystems that the cheetah needs.
For a wildlife enthusiast, the best approach is to travel with patience. A cheetah may appear as a fleeting shape across a grassland, or remain hidden beyond the next ridge. The real reward lies in witnessing the restoration of an entire ecosystem around one of the world’s fastest and most elusive cats.
–IANS
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