Bhopal: In a major decision, after the state lost two cheetah cubs — one to a freak fall while desperately looking for its mother and another allegedly run over by a speeding motorist while crossing a highway — in a matter of days, the state government approved and announced a third habitat for cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh after Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary and Gandhi Sagar.The state Cabinet unanimously decided on developing a third cheetah habitat in the Nauradehi sanctuary at a meeting chaired by chief minister Mohan Yadav at the Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre in Khajuraho on Tuesday.Briefing media persons after the meeting, CM Yadav and Minister of State (MoS), Forests and Environment, Dilip Parihar, said after Kuno, which presently has 28 cheetahs and Gandhi Sagar, which hosts two more, the Cabinet approved a third habitat over 1,197 kms in the Nauradehi sanctuary.Elaborating more on this landmark decision, an official state release read, “The cabinet gave in principle approval to develop the Virangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, Nauradehi in Sagar district as the third cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh. The first cheetah habitat was started at Kuno National Park, Sheopur, in Sept 2022, and the second at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, Mandsaur, in April 2025. Currently, the state has 31 cheetahs: 28 at Kuno and 2 at Gandhi Sagar. Additionally, eight cheetahs from Botswana are expected to arrive at Kuno in Jan 2026.”
