PM Modi extends wishes on International Cheetah Day, Calls for Action to Protect Cheetahs

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi greeted wildlife lovers and conservationists on International Cheetah Day , urging collective efforts to safeguard India’s critically low cheetah population. Three years after the launch of Project Cheetah , the country is working to restore a species that had vanished from its wild landscapes decades ago.

India currently has around 32 cheetahs , including 21 born on Indian soil , highlighting the challenge of reviving the population. The species disappeared due to historical hunting, habitat loss, declining prey, human-wildlife conflict, and competition from other predators.

Project Cheetah

, the government’s flagship initiative, focuses on reintroducing African cheetahs into protected habitats such as Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. The project emphasizes habitat management, adequate prey, monitoring, and community participation. Plans are underway to expand habitats and establish an inter-state conservation complex that could support 60–70 cheetahs in the coming years.

Globally, organizations like the Cheetah Conservation Fund , African Parks , and the Zoological Society of London are also working to protect cheetahs through habitat restoration, anti-poaching measures, scientific research, and translocation programs.

PM Modi praised the efforts of dedicated Cheetah Mitras , saying, “Protecting wildlife and living in harmony with nature are integral to India’s civilisational ethos, and we see that spirit alive today.” International Cheetah Day serves as a reminder of the urgent need to protect one of the world’s fastest and most remarkable creatures.