• Number of Cheetahs: Eight cheetahs (including two males) will be translocated.
• Purpose: The initiative is a component of 'Project Cheetah', a unique wildlife conservation effort by India to re-establish the species in its historical range after its extinction in the country in 1952. The move aims to assist in the regeneration of the cheetah population and ensure genetic diversity, as Botswana hosts a large portion of Southern Africa's cheetah population.
• Logistics: The cheetahs, sourced from the Ghanzi town in the Kalahari Desert, have been moved to a quarantine facility at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve near Gaborone. A symbolic handover event was planned for November 14, 2025, with the actual transfer to India expected to occur in the coming months, possibly by January 2026, after necessary quarantine procedures and medical examinations are completed.
• Destination in India: The new batch of cheetahs is expected to be housed in either Kuno National Park or the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, both of which have prepared the necessary enclosures and facilities.
• Alongside the cheetah pact, the two countries signed an MoU on healthcare and pharmaceuticals and discussed other cooperation areas such as ARV medicine supply from India to Botswana.
• India currently has around 27 cheetahs mostly from previous translocations from Namibia and South Africa, with some mortality reported due to climatic and health challenges; hence, the need for this fresh batch from Botswana.
• Commitment: President Murmu thanked her counterpart, President Duma Gideon Boko, for the gesture and assured that India would take good care of the animals. 

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