Symbolic handover of 8 cheetahs to Droupadi Murmu at Botswanas nature reserve

The two heads of state reached the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, about 10 kms south of capital Gaborone, earlier within the morning and took a safari automobile to witness the occasion of two captured massive cats being launched right into a quarantine pen.

Wildlife officers from India and Botswana additionally briefed Ms. Murmu and Mr. Boko concerning the process.

Officials stated all of the eight cheetahs are within the reserve and solely two have been launched for quarantine within the presence of the heads of state as a symbolic gesture of handing over them to India by Botswana.

The cheetahs, a mixture of grownup and sub-adult women and men, have been dropped at the character reserve from the Ghanzi city situated within the Kalahari desert, that varieties 70 per cent of the landmass of this southern Africa situated nation.

The Mokolodi reserve, unfold over 3,700 hectares, is a personal not-for-profit sport reserve that was created in 1994. It is inhabited by rhinoceros, giraffes and quite a lot of indigenous African chicken and reptile species, a few of that are uncommon and weak to the specter of extinction, as per official info.

All eight cheetahs are anticipated to achieve India within the subsequent few weeks after completion of their quarantine course of right here.

Ms Murmu is on a three-day state go to to Botswana which concludes on Thursday (November 13, 2025).

The translocation of the cheetahs from Botswana to India as a part of the Project Cheetah was introduced by the 2 Presidents on Wednesday throughout a press briefing after holding delegation stage talks at Boko’s workplace right here.

Ms. Murmu thanked the African nation for the endeavour in wildlife conservation and warranted that India will take “excellent care” of the cheetahs.

Mr. Boko stated his nation’s transfer to donate the cheetahs will help regeneration of the inhabitants of the massive cat in India.

India’s cheetah re-introduction story started on September 17, 2022 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched eight cheetahs introduced from Namibia right into a particular enclosure at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, marking the world’s first intercontinental relocation of a big wild carnivore species. India later imported 12 extra cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023.

Three years into the formidable revival programme, the nation now has 27 cheetahs, together with 16 born on Indian soil. Of them, 24 are at Kuno and three are on the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS), situated on the boundary of Mandsaur and Neemuch districts in Madhya Pradesh.

Nineteen cheetahs — 9 imported adults and 10 cubs born in India — have died from varied causes for the reason that venture started, whereas 26 cubs have been born in Kuno to date.

After importing 20 animals from Africa, India at present has a web achieve of seven cheetahs over the preliminary quantity.