Re-introduction of Cheetahs is the biggest event for Indian Wildlife: MP CM
New Delhi: On Friday, September 16, 2022, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, termed the re-introduction of Cheetahs from South Africa to India as the biggest event for wildlife in a decade.
Hailing the re-introduction of Cheetahs as a dream come true, the Chief Minister said, “We were a tiger state, a leopard state and are now becoming a cheetah state. We prepared Kuno 20 years ago… removed villages so wildlife could grow and villagers could be safe. Dreams coming true… this will be the biggest wildlife event this decade.”
“Even though Cheetahs have not reached yet, value of land nearby has grown by a lot. Tourism will grow… cars, hotels, landowners, and locals all will benefit,” he said.
Eight big cats, five female and three male, will be flown from Namibia’s Windhoek and are scheduled arrive in the Gwalior district around 7 am on Saturday, on the occasion of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s birthday.
The Cheetahs will be transported from Gwalior to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh through IAF choppers. The National Park lies approximately 200 kms away from the Gwalior city.
The Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, SP Yadav, said that the PM will release the big cats into a 50x30m enclosure where they will be quarantined for a month.
Talking about the safety of the wild animals, the CM said, “We will wait for them to adjust… Our first priority is their safety, after which we will think of increasing tourism here.”
As per the preparations, unauthorised people will be banned from entering the enclosure for a month and the Cheetahs will be enclosed in covered curtains to protect them from any possible infections.
The one-month enclosure prepared for Cheetahs has been populated with other animal species including Baby Nilgai, Spotted Deer, among others, to help them get used to prey.
Cheetahs were declared extinct in the Indian wilderness in the year 1952. The re-introduction of the big cat species in the country hopes to combat the extinction and re-generate the population of the Cheetahs in the Indian subcontinent.
(Avya Mathur)
