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Tiger state Madhya Pradesh expands wildlife strategy around cheetahs, corridors and conflict management
Madhya Pradesh expands wildlife governance beyond a tiger-centric model, releasing two Botswana-origin cheetahs at Kuno National Park and planning multi-species corridors and conflict management. The state reports a cheetah population of 57 with four cubs born in April 2026, and outlines broader habitat expansion, corridor development, and ecosystem restoration efforts across protected areas.
Why It Matters
The timeline shows a shift from a single-species focus to a multi-species, corridor-led conservation approach, aiming to balance wildlife movement with human development and livelihoods.
Timeline
8 Events
Cheetah release continues at Kuno
May 11, 2026
The cheetah release continued with officials reporting acclimatisation progress and ongoing expansion of the Kuno landscape as part of broader multi-species conservation efforts.
Two Botswana-origin cheetahs released from soft-release enclosures at Kuno
May 10, 2026
Two Botswana-origin female cheetahs were shifted from soft-release enclosures into the wild landscape at Kuno National Park during the Chief Minister’s visit.
Cheetah population reaches 57 with cubs at Kuno
April 2026
The state note stated Project Cheetah population had reached 57 following the birth of four cubs at Kuno in April 2026, including what it described as the first recorded wild litter born to an Indian-born female cheetah.
Cinereous vulture rescue and Kerwa conservation center
December 2025
A cinereous vulture rescued in Vidisha district in December 2025 was rehabilitated at the Kerwa-based Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (run jointly by Van Vihar National Park and BNHS) and released at Halali Dam, later travelling thousands of kilometres towards Central Asia.
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Wildlife Sanctuary notification
April 2025
Madhya Pradesh notified Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Wildlife Sanctuary spread across 258.64 sq km in Sagar district, making it the state’s 25th wildlife sanctuary.
13-kilometre safety wall inaugurated at Madhav National Park
March 2025
Chief Minister inaugurated a 13-kilometre stone safety wall along the reserve boundary to reduce human-animal conflict.
Madhav National Park declared a tiger reserve
March 2025
Madhav National Park in Shivpuri was declared the state’s ninth tiger reserve in March 2025.
Ratapani tiger reserve notified
December 2024
Ratapani was notified as the state’s eighth tiger reserve in December 2024, covering 1,271.4 square kilometres, including 763.8 sq km core and 507.6 sq km buffer area; the proposal had remained pending for nearly 17 years before approval under the current government.