Madhya Pradesh is expanding its cheetah reintroduction programme with a new site at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (VDTR), the state’s largest tiger reserve spanning 2,339 square kilometres across the Bundelkhand region. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav recently performed the ground-breaking ceremony for a soft release enclosure within the reserve’s Mohli Range, with the site expected to be ready by June 2026.
The enclosure will be built across 4.5 square kilometres and will serve as a transitional habitat before cheetahs are released into the wider reserve. VDTR would become only the third cheetah habitat in India, after Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, both in Madhya Pradesh.
What makes this site particularly notable is its existing predator population. The reserve is home to around 32 tigers and a significant leopard presence, making it the first location in the country where cheetahs will share terrain with two other large predators.
India’s cheetah population currently stands at 53, following the recent birth of five cubs at Kuno National Park.
