20 cheetahs from Kenya to be quarantined at MP's sanctuary before release

Under the supervision of scientists from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) here, 20 cheetahs from Kenya will undergo a 15-day quarantine at Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary before their release into the wild, officials said on Wednesday.

The cheetahs are scheduled to arrive in India between February 25 and September 25 as a part of efforts to bloster the population of the species, declared extinct in the country in 1952.

A team of wildlife scientists, including IVRI senior scientist and in-charge of its Wildlife Department, Dr. Abhijeet, will inspect the quarantine facility.

The cheetahs will be housed in Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district before being released into the wild.

"Cheetahs are being brought to India again and before being released at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, they will be quarantined. A team of veterinary scientists has been formed to inspect the quarantine center, evaluate the facilities, and suggest improvements," Dr. Triveni Datt, Director and Vice Chancellor of IVRI, Bareilly, said.

In 1952, the Indian government officially declared the cheetah extinct in the country. In recent years, efforts for its reintroduction began with the first batch of eight cheetahs brought from Namibia on September 17, 2022.

This was followed by 12 cheetahs from South Africa on February 18, 2023, which were released into Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. Currently, Kuno National Park hosts a total of 25 cheetahs, including 12 adults and 13 cubs.

The third batch of 20 cheetahs will now be brought from Kenya and housed in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which borders Gujarat and Rajasthan to further increase the cheetah population.

The 20 cheetahs will be quarantined for 15 days at a specially designated quarantine center within the sanctuary. The center has been established by the Animal Quarantine & Certification Service in New Delhi.

IVRI Dr. Abhijeet Pawde said, "A separate enclosure has been created in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary for the cheetahs during their quarantine period. They will be kept here for about 15 days."  He said a team of wildlife scientists, including him from IVRI, Bareilly, Dr. Shobha Jawre from Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary University, Jabalpur, Dr. Ashvendra Raut from the National High Security Animal Diseases Institute, Bhopal, Dr. Abhishek from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi, and Dr. Abhijeet from Animal Quarantine & Certification Service, New Delhi, will inspect the facilities at the quarantine center.

"Our primary concern is to ensure the health and safety of the cheetahs during this period," he added.

The team will also monitor whether the cheetahs brought from Kenya carry any diseases that could pose a threat to the other animals in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Pawde said.

Additionally, efforts will be made to pair male and female cheetahs together, ensuring that they are comfortable cohabiting before their eventual release into the wild, he said.