Gujarat is all set to receive five to six leopards from Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park in the first phase of the proposed translocation to the Bani rangelands in Kutch, with the move awaiting final approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Officials said assessments of habitat, veterinary infrastructure and soft enclosures are being prepared as part of efforts to expand India’s cheetah reintroduction program beyond Kuno.
“Most of the Kutch ecosystem is ready for the introduction of leopards, with some final work remaining. While no specific timeline can be given, we expect their arrival soon. The final decision will be taken by the NTCA, and preparations are underway from our end,” Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjunbhai Modhwadia told HT.
Officials familiar with the development said NTCA teams visited Bani several times in recent weeks to assess habitat suitability, prey base and overall preparedness. These visits followed a previous inspection in March, after which a four-member team returned to review the project in detail and propose specific requirements before any transfer was approved.
Assessments focused on whether the landscape in Banni could support cheetahs, particularly in terms of open terrain and availability of prey. The teams also reviewed veterinary care systems, the availability of medicines, and emergency response mechanisms.
The Gujarat Forest Department has been asked to set up medical and rescue support facilities, including arrangements similar to those used in Gir National Park.
Preparations include quarantine and soft release enclosures spread over an area of about 50 hectares, which forms part of a larger fenced area of about 600 hectares being developed at the site. About 10 hangars are now being equipped, along with tracking and monitoring systems.
A forest department official said that the cheetahs proposed to be transferred from Kono were brought from Namibia, South Africa and Botswana as part of the reintroduction programme, and were subjected to quarantine and acclimatization before being released in stages.
The project is estimated at approximately $Rs 20 lakh crore is being funded by the center and includes development of reserves, fencing, veterinary infrastructure and monitoring as part of a protected cheetah breeding center planned at the site.
Bani has been identified among the potential sites for reintroduction of cheetah in India. Its savannah-like habitat, similar to the landscape of East Africa, makes it suitable for this species. Historically, leopards have been found in this region, with records of leopard hunting in Saurashtra and Dahod until 1921, and references to their presence in Gujarat until the early 1940s.
