4 South African cheetahs to go on display at Bannerghatta zoo from June 4

After a successful 30-day quarantine, four South African cheetahs will make their public debut in a custom-built enclosure at Bengaluru's Bannerghatta Zoo

Project Cheetah has seen 33 cheetahs brought to India from African nations (Representative image: Wikimedia Commons).

2 min readBengaluruMay 29, 2026 09:44 AM IST First published on: May 28, 2026 at 08:24 PM IST

Visitors to Bannerghatta Biological Park will be able to see four South African cheetahs from June 4, after the animals successfully completed their mandatory quarantine period following their arrival in Bengaluru last month.

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.