India to bring 12 cheetahs from South Africa next month

NEW DELHI, Jan. 27 — The Indian government has signed an agreement with South Africa to bring 12 cheetahs next month, officials said Friday.
The big cats will be flown to the Kuno National Park in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, and join eight other cheetahs introduced to India from Namibia last year.
In the next eight to 10 years, more than 100 cheetahs will be translocated to India as part of the Indian government’s cheetah introduction project, according to the agreement between the two countries.
Restoring cheetah populations is considered a priority for India, as the country is aiming to re-establish the functional role of cheetahs within their historical range in India and improve the livelihood and economies of the local communities, said a statement issued by the environment ministry of South Africa.
“The plan is to translocate a further 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years,” the statement said.
Prior to their extinction from India in 1952, cheetahs used to share space with other big cats like lions and tigers in the forests.
Last year in September, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a cheetah reintroduction program in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno national park by releasing the cheetahs that were brought from Namibia in a special cargo plane.
Modi then said that with the reintroduction of cheetahs, there is a chance to reconnect the age-old link of biodiversity that was broken decades ago with the extinction.  (Xinhua)