Two cheetahs released into tiger reserve, their third habitat in Madhya Pradesh
Worth reading — New development — a Prelims-style fact (scheme, body, law, agreement or report), no past question yet.
2-minute summary
Madhya Pradesh has expanded its cheetah conservation project by releasing two cheetahs, named Vyom and Neera, into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in the Sagar district. This makes it the third cheetah habitat in the State, alongside Kuno National Park in Sheopur and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur. The release coincided with the conclusion of 'Wildlife Conservation Week', during which the State government also released the 'Vulture Population Estimation 2026' report and distributed tourism and village development grants to local residents in the buffer zone. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, formerly the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, spans 2,339 square kilometres across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts and was designated a tiger reserve in September 2023. Special enclosures and 439 hectares of secured habitat have been set up to support the cheetahs, aiming to boost local wildlife tourism and rural livelihoods in Bundelkhand.
Why it's in the news
Two cheetahs were released into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, establishing it as the State's third cheetah habitat under Project Cheetah.
Facts to remember
- Two cheetahs named Vyom and Neera were released into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh.
- Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is Madhya Pradesh's third cheetah habitat, following Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve spans approximately 2,339 square kilometres across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts.
- Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve was officially designated a tiger reserve on September 20, 2023, after being integrated with the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Special arrangements for the cheetahs at Veerangana Durgavati have been made over approximately 439 hectares with modern enclosures (bomas).
Background and context
Project Cheetah, launched in India, represents the world's first inter-continental translocation of a large carnivore, bringing African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) to India following the extinction of the Asiatic cheetah in the country (officially declared extinct in 1952). The initial batch of cheetahs was released in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in September 2022. Since then, conservation authorities have sought to establish alternate habitats to secure a self-sustaining metapopulation of the species in the wild. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (formerly Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary) have been developed as secondary and tertiary habitats, respectively, equipped with prey bases, security monitoring, and bomas for soft-releases.
Constitutional provisions
- Article 48A — Directs the State to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.
- Article 51A(g) — Imposes a fundamental duty on every Indian citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.
Government schemes
- Project Cheetah — The overarching national initiative for the restoration of the cheetah population in India through translocations and habitat management.
International organisations
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) — Classifies the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) as Vulnerable on its Red List, providing global conservation status benchmarks.
Mains practice: Examine the ecological imperatives and administrative challenges involved in expanding Project Cheetah to multiple habitats in India.
Project Cheetah, aiming to restore the extinct Asiatic cheetah using African counterparts, has progressively expanded beyond Kuno National Park to include Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
• Ecological Imperatives: Establishing multiple self-sustaining populations is vital to mitigate genetic bottleneck risks, disease outbreaks, and localized climate vulnerabilities. Spreading the population across habitats like the 2,339 sq km Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve reduces demographic pressure on a single site.
• Prey Base and Habitat Adequacy: Translocation requires rigorous preparation, including secured enclosures (bomas), adequate prey density (chital, sambar, nilgai), and minimization of biotic interference. Veerangana Durgavati's integration of Nauradehi provides a contiguous landscape for large carnivores.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict and Community Engagement: Expanding habitats involves buffer zones where human settlements exist. Compensating villagers, promoting homestays, and sharing ecotourism revenues—as implemented with ₹20 crore distributed in MP—are essential to secure local community support and foster co-existence.
• Co-predator Dynamics: A major administrative and ecological hurdle is territorial overlap with established apex predators like tigers and leopards, requiring intensive monitoring and radio-collaring.
Way Forward:
• Ensure long-term genetic tracking and veterinary oversight across all three habitats in Madhya Pradesh.
• Strengthen community-based conservation models through sustainable eco-tourism incentives and timely compensation.
• Enhance cross-state corridors to facilitate natural dispersal and prevent artificial isolation of cheetah populations.
Conclusion:
Expanding Project Cheetah aligns with India's constitutional mandate under Article 48A and Article 51A(g) to protect wildlife, marking a milestone in global conservation biology when balanced with scientific rigor and local livelihood integration.
Prelims practice questions
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the cheetah conservation initiatives in Madhya Pradesh: 1. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is Madhya Pradesh's third cheetah habitat after Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. 2. Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve was designated a tiger reserve in September 2023 following its integration with Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary. 3. The cheetah population in India is exclusively managed within Kuno National Park with no plans for multi-site expansion. How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Answer: B. Statement 1 is correct: Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is the third cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh after Kuno and Gandhi Sagar. Statement 2 is correct: It was designated a tiger reserve on September 20, 2023, integrating Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary. Statement 3 is incorrect because Project Cheetah is actively expanding to multiple sites across Madhya Pradesh, including Gandhi Sagar and Veerangana Durgavati. Thus, exactly two statements are correct.
Q2. With reference to Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, consider the following statements: 1. It spans across the districts of Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur in Madhya Pradesh. 2. It is exclusively designated for cheetahs with no historical presence or current population of tigers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: A. Statement 1 is correct: Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve spans about 2,339 square kilometres across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts. Statement 2 is incorrect because the area already houses tigers, leopards, and other wildlife, and was designated a tiger reserve in 2023 before the release of cheetahs.
Q3. Project Cheetah, often in the news in India, involves the inter-continental translocation of which specific subspecies of cheetah?
- The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) from Iranian captive breeding programmes
- The Northwest African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki) from Sahara-Sahel protected zones
- The African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) sourced primarily from southern African nations
- The Northeast African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus soemmeringii) from the Horn of Africa
Answer: C. Project Cheetah entails the introduction of the African cheetah subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus), primarily sourced from Namibia and South Africa, as the Asiatic subspecies is critically endangered and restricted to a tiny population in Iran. Option C is the most precise and correct description.
Revision flashcards
- Which constitutional Article directs the Indian State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife? Article 48A of the Constitution of India (Directive Principles of State Policy).
- What is the global IUCN conservation status of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)? Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
- Which tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh received cheetahs in October 2026 as its third cheetah habitat? Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (spanning Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur districts).
- When was Veerangana Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary officially designated as a tiger reserve? September 20, 2023, after integration with Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Why is multi-site habitat expansion considered necessary for Project Cheetah in India? To mitigate genetic bottleneck risks, prevent localized disease outbreaks, and establish a viable, self-sustaining metapopulation.