13 Nov 2025

President Advocate Duma Boko has handed over eight cheetahs to India President Droupadi Murmu of India, to mark another step in strengthening the existing ties and deepening cooperation in wildlife management between the two nations.

Speaking at a brief handover ceremony at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve on November 13, President Boko said the symbolic donation also addressed human and wildlife conflict in Botswana as some of the animals were in danger of being killed within local communities.

The President said their translocation ensured protection and survival and was also seen as a notable contribution to global efforts to preserve endangered species.

For his part, Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, said the gesture would unlock opportunities for Batswana, particularly in areas of tourism and ecosystem management.

Minister Mmolotsi said Botswana advocated for the sustainable use of wildlife resources and was a leader in biodiversity development and would continue to do so.

“The donation would go a long way in showing a shared commitment in developing different wildlife species between the two countries,” he said. Department of Wildlife and National Parks director, Mr Moemi Batshabang said Botswana remained a stronghold of the cheetah population globally, estimated at 1 700 individuals, approximately 24 per cent of the world population.

The world population of cheetahs is estimated at just over 7 100, representing a 40 per cent decline over the last 40 years owing to a number of reasons including human wildlife conflict, among others.

Mr Batshabang said they were confident that the translocation of the eight would not have a negative effect on the conservation of the species in the country.

He noted that the eight animals, consisting of two families of a mother and three cubs each, were captured and rescued as problem animals.

Mr Batshabang added that Botswana had taken note of the progress made by the project cheetah in India and were convinced that the translocation of the eight would benefit the species conservation through development and exchange of expertise and sharing of best practices in wildlife management.

The captured animals, originally from Ghanzi area, were released into a quarantine facility by experts at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve undergoing a few logistics for some time before being translocated to India to assist in the regeneration of cheetah population.

Project Cheetah is a unique initiative aimed at reintroducing cheetahs to India, decades after their extinction.

Majority of cheetahs translocated there are reportedly adapting well to their new environment and exhibiting natural behaviours such as hunting and mating. ENDS