Overview
- Officials staged the handover at Mokolodi Nature Reserve during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit, with Botswana’s President Duma Gideon Boko in attendance.
- The eight cheetahs, including adults and sub-adults sourced from Ghanzi, entered quarantine in Botswana for about a month before transport to India.
- Upon arrival, the animals are slated to join Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
- India’s reintroduction effort began with cheetahs from Namibia in 2022 and expanded with translocations from South Africa in 2023.
- Reporting on outcomes varies, with one outlet citing at least 15 deaths since 2023 and another listing 27 recorded cheetahs and 19 deaths, following a recent suspected leopard-related fatality at Kuno.