All these cheetahs will be taken to Kuno on the same day by two helicopters and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release them into the park from the Quarantine Centre…reports Asian Lite News
Cheetahs will be seen running again in India after 70 years, with India set to get eight of the big cats from Namibia.
A special cargo plane carrying these eight cheetahs will land in Jaipur on September 17 before the animals are sent to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur.
All these cheetahs will be taken to Kuno on the same day by two helicopters and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release them into the park from the Quarantine Centre.
Officials at the Jaipur International Airport said that these cheetahs will be flagged off from Namibian capital Windhoek at 9 p.m. on September 16 and the plane will reach land here at around 8 a.m. the next day after a journey of 11 hours.
Modi’s birthday
The Cheetah Reintroduction Project, which aims to restore the population of cheetahs in the country, will formally take off on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, September 17, 2022.
IndianOil, as the lead energizer of this project, will be supporting the National Tiger Conservation Authority with Rs 50.22 Crore for taking the project forward.
“IndianOil is proud to welcome the Cheetahs back to Indian soil. It is an affirmation of IndianOil’s resolve to align with Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to preserve and enhance India’s wildlife and maintain a healthy ecological balance,” said S M Vaidya, the chairman of IndianOil.
“Restoring original cheetah habitats and their biodiversity should go a long way to stem the degradation and rapid loss of biodiversity. As the only corporate championing this special cause, we hope this project’s success will open up more avenues for crafting a sustainable future,” Vaidya added.
Cheetah was officially declared extinct in India, in 1952. Under the Species Recovery Program of the Government of India, species that become extinct are restored in their historic natural habitat.
Some landmark projects supporting the program include the Restoration of Tigers in Panna Tiger Reserve and the Reintroduction of Gaur (Indian Bison) in Bandhavgarh. Now, the Kuno National Park will have cheetahs from Africa, marking a fresh start for the species in the country.
IndianOil’s financial support would be directed towards cheetah introduction endeavours, habitat management, protection, eco-development, staff training and veterinary healthcare. (IANS/ANI)