New Delhi: Adding more strength to India’s Cheetah reintroduction program, another set of cheetahs will make its way to the country on February 18.
Sharing details of Cheetah’s arrival, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav said that 12 big cats will be flown from South Africa.
“A C-17 aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) left the country on Thursday morning to bring 12 cheetahs from South Africa. 10 quarantine enclosures have been created at the Kuno National Park for these felines,” the minister told reporters at a press conference today.
12 cheetahs including 7 male and 5 female cheetahs are being brought to India from South Africa on 18th February: Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav
(file photo) pic.twitter.com/cF4w6rdQSO
— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2023
The Cheetahs were reintroduced in Madhya Pradesh ‘s Kuno National Park last year, after many years of their extinction. Under the Cheetah re-introduction program, PM Modi had, on September 17, released 8 felines including 5 female & 3 males into a quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park. These cheetahs were brought by a special plane from Namibia.
Curently, these cheetahs are active in the jungles & hunting preys themselves. One of them had developed some complications due to high creatinine levels but got recovered after treatment.
Cheetah safari on the anvil
According to reports, the Kuno National Park will soon open its doors to tourists for ‘cheetah safari’. Nature & wild animal lovers will get a fresh chance to see the cheetahs in their natural habitat. The state government hopes to benefit hugely from this and has also made elaborate plans to promote & popularize ‘cheetah safari’.
With addition of more cheetahs, the Kuno National Park & wildlife sanctuary will hog more attention & attract more wildlife tourists.
Notably, India & South Africa have signed an MoU for cheetah restoration program under which the big cats will be brought to Indian sub-continent for next 9-10 years.
A wide majority of the world’s 7,000 cheetahs live in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Namibia ranks the highest in number of cheetahs.
