Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh | September 19, 2026
One was born in India. The other arrived from Botswana, thousands of kilometres away. They had different mothers, different backgrounds and no previous connection.
Yet two young male cheetahs at Kuno National Park have developed an extraordinary companionship, displaying behaviours that suggest they are forming a coalition despite being unrelated.
The developing partnership between KNG23 and CCB4 has given researchers an opportunity to observe how cheetahs establish social relationships in India’s reintroduction landscape.
Two cheetahs, two very different journeys
KNG23 was born at Kuno to Nirva, a female cheetah brought from South Africa.
In March 2026, he suffered a minor injury and had to be separated from his mother and siblings for treatment.
CCB4, meanwhile, arrived from Botswana on February 28 as part of a group of nine cheetahs. He was subsequently separated from his two sisters.
Although the two males had never lived together, KNG23 began showing interest in the newcomer.
Even after recovering and being released into the wild with his family on May 30, he continued to show interest in CCB4 whenever they encountered each other across an enclosure fence.
A second encounter changes everything
In late July, KNG23 suffered another injury in the wild and was returned to a soft-release enclosure for treatment.
By then, CCB4 was living alone after his sisters had been released into the wild.
The two males were placed near each other again, and monitoring teams noticed that they appeared interested in one another’s company.
Officials eventually removed the barrier separating them, allowing the cheetahs to interact.
Their first meeting was peaceful.
The next test came when the animals were provided with food under close observation. Rather than fighting over the kill, they shared it without aggression.
Sharing food, grooming and calling to each other
What followed was particularly interesting.
KNG23 began following CCB4 closely. When CCB4 made a kill, the two shared the meat, sometimes with KNG23 beginning to feed while his companion was still securing the prey.
The cheetahs also started grooming each other.
When separated from view, they reportedly made chirping calls, apparently maintaining contact.
Perhaps most significantly, the pair displayed signs of supporting one another when confronted by another cheetah coalition.
These observations suggest that their relationship has developed beyond simply tolerating each other’s presence.
Why is this unusual?
Male cheetahs are known to form coalitions, often consisting of brothers from the same litter.
Such groups may remain together for years, cooperating in hunting, territorial defence and competition with other males.
Coalitions between unrelated males are also known in cheetahs, but they are less typical than associations between littermates.
The developing partnership at Kuno is therefore noteworthy because KNG23 and CCB4 were born in different countries and raised separately.
Their behaviour suggests that unfamiliar males can develop cooperative relationships under suitable circumstances.
However, researchers will need to monitor the pair over time before concluding that they have established a stable, long-term coalition.
A new dimension to Project Cheetah
Four years after cheetahs were reintroduced to India, Project Cheetah is producing observations that go beyond population growth and successful breeding.
The animals are establishing territories, hunting, reproducing and interacting with one another in increasingly complex ways.
The relationship between KNG23 and CCB4 offers a glimpse into how the social organisation of India’s emerging cheetah population may develop.
For conservationists, understanding these relationships could help inform future decisions about releases, animal management and the establishment of free-ranging populations.
Two cheetahs from different continents have found companionship in Kuno. Whether their partnership lasts remains to be seen, but their emerging bond offers another fascinating chapter in India’s cheetah reintroduction story.
Source credit: The New Indian Express, September 18, 2026.
Original report: Two unrelated cheetah males strike a bond of brothers at Kuno .
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