Exciting news for wildlife lovers! India's Project Cheetah is gearing up for a fresh batch of African cheetahs. President Droupadi Murmu will visit Angola and Botswana from November 8 to 13 to talk about moving eight cheetahs from Botswana to India. This news comes from the Ministry of External Affairs on November 6, with Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary of Economic Relations, confirming the plan. Just days before, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared that India will receive eight African cheetahs from Botswana in December. These majestic cats will be the new stars of Project Cheetah, which started in 2022 to bring back cheetahs to central India's grasslands where Asian cheetahs once roamed. But it hasn't been a smooth ride. So far, 20 cheetahs have been brought from Namibia and South Africa. Sadly, nine died due to infections and injuries. In June this year, Kenya refused to send cheetahs, and South Africa paused its cheetah shipments to check the health of those already sent. Currently, the eight selected cheetahs in Botswana are under strict quarantine. When they reach Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, they will quarantine again for three months before being set free into the wild. However, not everyone is fully confident. A senior official from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which runs Project Cheetah, shared concerns. They said previous cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa struggled with India's humid weather. "Experts had failed to anticipate the impact of different climatic conditions," the official told The New Indian Express. The cheetahs grew thick winter coats meant for colder African winters, which in India's wet monsoon caused skin and deadly bacterial infections. There are talks about bringing cheetahs from northern African countries to fix this problem. Still, the NTCA official said, "It seems the government has not learned a crucial lesson from past experiences," regarding the new eight cheetahs coming from Botswana. Earlier this year, officials planned to bring some cheetahs from Botswana in two phases, but delays happened. Kenya said no to sending any cheetahs, and South Africa stopped transfers, citing poor communication, weather issues, and long captivity concerns. Adding to the drama, the international body CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) recently recommended India not give import permits for wild animals until proper checks are done. This is to make sure animals are not illegally caught from the wild and falsely passed as captive-bred. Cheetahs are on CITES Appendix I since 1975, meaning they are highly protected and international trade is mostly banned. While CITES' recommendation is not a strict order, it could delay Project Cheetah’s plans. India joined CITES in 1976 and now has to balance exciting conservation dreams with strict international rules. Will the fast and beautiful cheetahs sprint back to India’s lands soon? The next few months and President Murmu’s talks will decide the future of these wild speedsters!