Prateek Tanmay
2 min readBengaluruMay 28, 2026 08:24 PM IST
Four South African cheetahs that arrived in Bengaluru last month will be officially unveiled to the public at the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) starting June 4, following the successful completion of their mandatory quarantine period.
Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre confirmed the timeline Thursday, following a review meeting with the state’s chief wildlife warden. The minister said the big cats will be released into a custom-built, newly designed display enclosure tailored to suit their natural active behaviour.
The four cheetahs, comprising two males and two females, landed at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on April 18. They were translocated from the Induna Primate and Parrot Park in South Africa as part of an approved international animal exchange programme.
The animals underwent health screening and an initial isolation phase in South Africa before transit. Upon arrival in Bengaluru, they were placed under strict quarantine for over 30 days, during which a dedicated team of veterinarians monitored them around the clock to ensure acclimatisation and disease control. All regulatory clearances were obtained under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, along with standard approvals from Indian animal quarantine authorities.
Historically known in Karnataka as ‘Sivangi’, the Asiatic cheetah once inhabited the Deccan plains before being entirely exterminated due to excessive hunting and significant habitat loss. While the Asiatic cheetah remains extinct in India, this translocation introduces African cheetahs to the state’s premier biological park.
This translocation aligns with India’s conservation strategy, Project Cheetah. As of April, 33 cheetahs have been brought into the country from African nations to revive the species within the subcontinent.
