The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided to relocate three cheetahs from Kuno National Park to the Banni grasslands in Kutch, giving Gujarat its first set of cheetahs under the conservation project.
The three cheetahs, brought from Botswana and currently housed at Kuno, include two females and one male. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jaipal Singh confirmed that the animals have completed quarantine and are expected to arrive in Kutch either before the monsoon or shortly after it.
Officials said a second batch of four cheetahs from Kenya is also expected to arrive later this year. The NTCA has reportedly decided to keep cheetahs from Botswana and Kenya together at the Banni facility.
According to officials, the NTCA team that visited Gujarat in March approved the transfer of four Kenyan cheetahs, including two male-female pairs, to Banni later this year. Before being shifted to Gujarat, all cheetahs will first undergo quarantine at a special facility developed at Kuno.With this move, Gujarat will become the second home for cheetahs in India after Kuno National Park. Authorities plan to bring a total of 12 cheetahs to Banni within a year of the first arrivals.
The Banni facility is India’s first cheetah conservation breeding centre. Its 500-hectare enclosure has been designed like an African savannah habitat to support acclimatisation and breeding. Officials said the open grassland and wide territory in Banni make it an ideal habitat for cheetahs, which require large spaces for movement.
To ensure safety, strong chain-link fencing has been installed across the nearly 9,830-metre boundary to prevent escapes and stop other large carnivores from entering the area.
Officials added that if breeding is successful, the cheetahs may eventually be released into free-ranging areas of Kutch, although any final decision will be taken by the NTCA.