• Source:JND
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AMID priority of restoring the population of cheetahs in India which will have vital and far-reaching conversation consequences which would aim to achieve a number of ecological objectives, as many twelve cheetahs will be flown from South Africa on February 18, the Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, as quoted by news agency ANI, said on Thursday.

This followed after South Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last month on cooperation in the re-introduction of Cheetahs in India to establish a viable cheetah population in the Asian country.

"South Africa and India signed an MoU on cooperation in the re-introduction of Cheetahs in India. In terms of MoU, the initial batch of 12 cheetahs is to be flown from South Africa to India in February 2023. MoU terms to be reviewed every 5 years," read the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change press release.

Last year on September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight (five females and three males) cheetahs from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on his 72-second birthday.

Almost 7,000 cheetahs, the world's majority live in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Namibia has the world's largest population of cheetahs, PTI reported. The cheetah is the only large carnivore that got completely wiped out from India, mainly due to overhunting and habitat loss. 

"Following the import of the 12 cheetahs in February, the plan is to translocate a further 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years. The terms of the MoU will be reviewed every five years to ensure it remains relevant," the environment ministry said.

Currently, there are eight cheetahs at Kuno National Park. One female cheetah named Shasha, which is among the eight has fallen sick and reportedly suffered from kidney problems and dehydration, a forest official, as quoted by ANI said.

 

(With Agencies Inputs)