Madhya Pradesh Releases Two Cheetahs in State’s Third Habitat

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released two cheetahs in the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Sagar district on Wednesday (October 7, 2026), marking an expansion of the State’s cheetah conservation project.

The cheetahs have been named Vyom and Neera, Mr. Yadav said, describing the occasion as a historic day for Madhya Pradesh’s wildlife.

Third cheetah habitat in the State

The release makes the tiger reserve in the Bundelkhand region the third cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh, after Kuno National Park in Sheopur district and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur.

Officials said the cheetahs were released on the concluding day of ‘Wildlife Conservation Week’.

The development expands the geographical base of Project Cheetah in the State, where the animals are already present in Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Mr. Yadav said Madhya Pradesh has conducive habitats for cheetahs.

“This new home for cheetahs has its own unique characteristics. While we care for our wildlife, it is also our responsibility to care for our villagers,” the Chief Minister said.

The government’s emphasis on villagers was linked to the revenue generated by sanctuaries and the benefits being provided to residents living around them.

Revenue support for surrounding villages

In the current year, nearly ₹80 crore was collected through sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh, of which ₹20 crore was distributed to residents of surrounding villages, Mr. Yadav said.

“This is their right, as they have been living around these sanctuaries for years,” he said.

Mr. Yadav said the Government was also facilitating homestay services for residents near the reserve.

Home owners in the buffer zone of Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, or VDTR, can rent their properties as homestays, he said.

The government is also providing villagers with a grant of ₹2-3 lakh, according to the Chief Minister.

These measures were announced alongside the cheetah release and form part of the support described for communities living around the sanctuary and reserve areas.

More cheetahs planned for VDTR

The Chief Minister said India’s Cheetah Project was launched in 2022 and that the number of the big cats had reached 60.

He announced that two more cheetahs would be brought to VDTR next month.

“These four will further expand their family,” he said.

“It is said that cheetahs never conflict with humans. They live very lovingly. Now you will be living with them; you will enjoy it,” Mr. Yadav added.

Madhya Pradesh has become an excellent example of the revival of a species that had become extinct in Asia, he said.

The cheetah population has grown from eight to 60, Mr. Yadav said, adding that the increase would strengthen the ecosystem and help tourism develop.

“Tigers already exist here,” he added.

Reserve prepared for the animals

The VDTR is also known as the Nauradehi Tiger Reserve and is Madhya Pradesh’s largest tiger habitat, spanning about 2,339 square kilometres across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts.

The area was established in 1997 and was designated a tiger reserve on September 20, 2023, after being integrated with the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, officials said.

The reserve is home to tigers, leopards, chital, sambar, nilgai and bears, according to officials.

It is also important for the conservation of endangered Indian vulture species.

Special arrangements have been made over approximately 439 hectares for the cheetahs.

A secure habitat equipped with modern enclosures, known as bomas, and other facilities has been created for them.

The facilities are intended to provide a secure setting for the animals as they are introduced into their new habitat within the reserve.

Wildlife tourism and conservation

According to officials, the presence of cheetahs will boost wildlife tourism in Sagar and Bundelkhand.

Officials said the development would create new employment opportunities and boost the local economy.

During the event, Mr. Yadav also released the ‘Vulture Population Estimation 2026’ report and the book Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, written in Bundelkhandi.

He said Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of vultures.

“Our state also has the highest number of tigers in the entire country,” he said.

Mr. Yadav also said unique species of turtles, gharials and crocodiles had been released into the Chambal and Narmada rivers.

Taking a dig at the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Mr. Yadav said, “Pappu doesn’t understand anything. We are living in such good times.”

“The world is looking at India with hope, but those who have lost power are doing whatever they want in their pursuit of it,” he added.

The addition of VDTR gives Madhya Pradesh a third cheetah habitat while linking the conservation effort with the reserve’s existing tiger landscape, planned facilities and surrounding communities.

Published - October 07, 2026 10:26 pm IST.

Source: The Hindu