Botswana ready to send ‘Good Number’ of cheetahs to India, says MEA

Botswana has expressed readiness to send a “good number” of cheetahs to India under Project Cheetah, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday, marking a major boost to India’s wildlife conservation efforts ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s upcoming state visit to Angola and Botswana.
Addressing a special press briefing, MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Sudhakar Dalela said that discussions with Botswana on wildlife conservation and biodiversity cooperation have progressed substantially.“We have already been working with Namibia and South Africa as part of our shared commitment to conservation and biodiversity protection. In addition to Namibia and South Africa, we have been talking to Botswana for some time, and they have indicated their readiness to work with us in this area,” Dalela said.He added that while the exact number of cheetahs to be sent has not been disclosed, it would be a “good number,” and their relocation to India is expected “very soon.”
Strengthening India’s Cheetah Reintroduction Effort
Project Cheetah is India’s flagship initiative to reintroduce the world’s fastest land animal, which went extinct in the country in 1952. At present, India is home to 27 cheetahs — 11 translocated from South Africa and Namibia, and 16 born in India. The Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh serves as the project’s main habitat, encompassing 748 sq km of inviolate area within a 3,500 sq km cheetah-compatible landscape.
The announcement comes as India continues to deepen its partnerships with African nations in conservation and biodiversity. A five-member South African delegation recently visited Kuno National Park on November 5, 2025, to review management practices and progress under Project Cheetah.
A detailed presentation on cheetah conservation efforts over the past three years was given by the field director of the Cheetah Project, followed by a field visit to Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur on November 6. The delegation praised the collaborative work of the Government of India, the Government of Madhya Pradesh, and Kuno’s management team in advancing the cheetah conservation initiative.
South African delegation members included:
•Adv. Anthony Mitchell, Head of Office and Cabinet Liaison for Deputy Minister Narend Singh
•Kam Chetty, Retired Bureaucrat
•Sam Ferreira, SANParks Lead Biologist
•Brent Coverdale, Animal Scientist at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
•Jeaneatta Selier, Senior Scientist at SANBI
Indian delegation members included:
•S. P. Yadav, Managing Director, International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and Advisor, Cheetah Project
•Subharanjan Sen, PCCF (Wildlife) and CWLW, Madhya Pradesh
•Sanjayan Kumar, Inspector General, NTCA, Government of India

President Murmu’s Upcoming Africa Visit
The MEA confirmed that President Droupadi Murmu will undertake a state visit to Angola and Botswana from November 8 to 13, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to these two African nations.Dalela said the visit underlines India’s growing engagement with the Global South, particularly Africa, across political, economic, developmental, and cultural dimensions.
“We expect to finalise several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in areas such as health, fisheries, and capacity building during the visit,” he said, adding that India continues to encourage its African partners to join New Delhi-led global initiatives like the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), Global Biofuel Alliance, and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).“We are hopeful that during the President’s visit, Angola and Botswana will indicate positive movement on partnering with India in these regional and global initiatives,” Dalela added.President Murmu’s visit is expected to strengthen India’s multifaceted partnership with Africa, with a strong focus on trade, investment, technology, health, energy, and wildlife conservation — reaffirming India’s leadership in global biodiversity and sustainable development cooperation.

(Asstt.Editor)