Nine more cheetahs from Botswana arrived at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, PTI reported. With this, the number of cheetahs in India stands at 48.

In September 2022, cheetahs were reintroduced under Project Cheetah to India seven decades after the species was declared extinct in the country. The animals were being sourced from African nations like Namibia and South Africa.

Since 2023, at least 18 cheetahs have died.

The new batch of cheetahs from Botswana arrived in Gwalior on an Indian Air Force aircraft, Sheopur Public Relations Officer Avantika Shrivastava told PTI, adding that they were transported to the national park by helicopters.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav released the cheetahs into enclosures at the park, PTI reported.

The big cats will be kept under quarantine for a month before they are finally released, Project Cheetah Director Uttam Kumar Sharma told The Print.