MP Botswana delegation visits Gandhi Sagar sanctuary ahead of cheetah translocation

Mandsaur, Dec 20 (PTI) A three-member team from Botswana on Saturday visited Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh where a few more cheetahs are set to be translocated from the African country.

    "A team from Botswana visited Gandhi Sagar with senior officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India experts," Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sanjay Raikhare told PTI Videos.

    The delegation reviewed the preparations including quarantine bomas (enclosures), control rooms and hospitals, and expressed satisfaction, he said.

    "Currently, we have six normal quarantine bomas and two treatment bomas. They examined every detail inside; mounts, water bodies, sheds, and arrangements made for the cheetahs' protection," said Raikhare.


    It was not yet clear how many cheetahs would be brought to India and when, the DFO said.
    Earlier in April 2025, two male cheetahs, Prabhash and Pavak, were shifted from Kuno National Park in the state to Gandhi Sagar, while female cheetah Dheera was shifted to Gandhi Sagar in September.

    Gandhi Sagar is being developed as India's second major cheetah sanctuary after Kuno.
    The cheetah, fastest land animal species, was declared extinct in the country in 1952. Project Cheetah aims at reviving their population in the wild in India.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)