UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Cheetah numbers in India reach 53, as Jwala gives birth to five cubs at Kuno National Park; Indian-born Cubs rise to 33
Q1. Project Cheetah, under which African cheetahs were brought to Kuno National Park, is most precisely described as which one of the following?
- A. The world's first intercontinental wild-to-wild translocation of a large carnivore
- B. India's first intra-country translocation of a large carnivore between protected areas
- C. The world's first captive-bred large carnivore reintroduction programme
- D. India's first trans-boundary lion translocation under a bilateral treaty
Q2. With reference to the first two batches of cheetahs translocated to India, consider the following statements:
1. The eight cheetahs brought from Namibia in September 2022 comprised five females and three males.
2. The twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa in February 2023 comprised seven females and five males.
3. Both the Namibian and South African batches were airlifted to India aboard Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The eight cheetahs brought from Namibia in September 2022 comprised five females and three males.
- The twelve cheetahs brought from South Africa in February 2023 comprised seven females and five males.
- Both the Namibian and South African batches were airlifted to India aboard Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. With reference to the extinction and reintroduction of the cheetah in India, consider the following statements:
1. The cheetah was officially declared extinct in India in 1952.
2. The last cheetahs in India were recorded in the Sal forests of Koriya in 1947.
3. Project Cheetah is the world's first intercontinental wild-to-wild translocation of a large carnivore.
4. The animals reintroduced into India belong to the Asiatic subspecies sourced from Iran.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The cheetah was officially declared extinct in India in 1952.
- The last cheetahs in India were recorded in the Sal forests of Koriya in 1947.
- Project Cheetah is the world's first intercontinental wild-to-wild translocation of a large carnivore.
- The animals reintroduced into India belong to the Asiatic subspecies sourced from Iran.
- A. 1 only
- B. 4 only
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 2 and 4
Q4. With reference to the institutional initiation of cheetah reintroduction in India, consider the following statements:
1. The first eight Namibian cheetahs were released at Kuno National Park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 September 2022.
2. The Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India was brought out by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2022.
3. The day-to-day implementing agency for Project Cheetah is the Wildlife Institute of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The first eight Namibian cheetahs were released at Kuno National Park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 September 2022.
- The Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India was brought out by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2022.
- The day-to-day implementing agency for Project Cheetah is the Wildlife Institute of India.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park is operationally implemented by which one of the following bodies under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change?
- A. National Tiger Conservation Authority
- B. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
- C. Central Zoo Authority
- D. National Biodiversity Authority
Q6. Kuno National Park, the site chosen for Project Cheetah, forms part of which one of the following landscapes?
- A. Sheopur–Shivpuri deciduous open forest landscape
- B. Vindhyan sandstone plateau scrubland
- C. Satpura moist deciduous forest belt
- D. Bundelkhand dry thorn-scrub tract
Q7. How many cheetahs in total constituted the original founder stock translocated to India from Namibia and South Africa during 2022–2023?
Q8. The cheetahs reintroduced under Project Cheetah enjoy the highest level of legal protection within India primarily under which one of the following statutes?
- A. Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
- B. Biological Diversity Act, 2002
- C. Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
- D. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
Q9. The March 2026 birth of Jwala's litter at Kuno, taking India's cheetah count to 53, was announced by the Union Minister heading which ministry?
- A. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- B. Ministry of Tribal Affairs
- C. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- D. Ministry of Earth Sciences
Q10. In the chronological sequence of countries supplying cheetahs to India's Project Cheetah, Botswana — which sent nine cheetahs received in 2026 — holds which position?
- A. Third source country
- B. First source country
- C. Second source country
- D. Fourth source country
Q11. Consider the following pairs relating to India's big-cat conservation programmes:
1. Project Cheetah — Kuno National Park
2. Project Lion — Gir landscape, Gujarat
3. Asiatic cheetah — surviving in the wild only in Namibia
4. Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) — found in the wild only in Gir
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Project Cheetah — Kuno National Park
- Project Lion — Gir landscape, Gujarat
- Asiatic cheetah — surviving in the wild only in Namibia
- Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) — found in the wild only in Gir
- A. 1, 2 and 4
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2 and 4 only
- D. 1 and 3 only