On September 17, 2022, eight cheetahs were released by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 72th birthday gift to India, which were brought into two special Indian Air Force (IAF) Plane from Southern Africa’s Namibia’s game park to India’s state of Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur District of Gwalior at Kuno National Park (KNP). Under ‘cheetah reinintroduction programme- Cheetah is back in India,’ Cheetahs were reinstated in India after seven decades.
Cheetahs were flown in on a modified passengers B-747 jumbo jet, which took off from Hosea Kutako International Airport in Winhhoek and landed in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior. The special plane front body was designed like a real face of cheetah which reached within 11hrs from Namibia to India. Cheetahs were brought into wooden boxes. PM released cheetahs into an enclosure at the KNP by operating a lever. He also clicked some pictures of the cheetah on a professional camera (SLR).
There are only two Countries (Iran, Namibia) to have large numbers of cheetahs worldwide. India’s scientists kept on research that which country’s cheetahs are best, healthier, and in every wise to bring in India. In this research, Namibian cheetahs were best to taken here in India. Scientists did research on best Namibian cheetahs. Before bringing in India all cheetahs medical test have been done like health and survival check-up. Three male and five female cheetahs were selected on the basis of check-ups. Among three male, one is older than other for experience of running family more properly and other two is selected for more new offsprings (population of cheetahs). Five female cheetahs were selected. Among these four are younger than for to give more birth to new cheetahs and elder is for the experience to know how to care baby cheetahs.
Cheetahs will be monitored in the park for 1 month. Collar GPS (Global Positioning System) has been installed on the neck of the cheetah for tracking and wild life experts were deployed at KNP for care.
KNP is situated on the northern side of Vidhyachal mountains with an area of 344 686 Sq km. It was named after a tributary of Chamal River, Kuna,” a forest official said.
The cheetah is large native cat of Africa and Cental Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being 93 and 98 km/h and several adaptations for speed including light build, long thin legs and long tail.
‘Project Cheetaha’ were being going, coincidently cheetahs bringing date to India met modi’s birthday occasion.
PM said on his twitter surface, ‘Project Cheetaha’ is our endeavour towards environment and wildlife conservation. He also said, “Let cheetahs make Kuno National Park their home.”
“After Seven decades of local extinction, cheetahs have come back to our land. On this historic day, I want to congratulate all Indians and also thank the government of Namibia. This could not possible without their help,” PM said.
Some Indian scientists said, “Modern India presents challenges not faced by the animals in the past.”
Conservationist Saad Bin Jung, told Al Jazeera that he is “extremely positive and excited at the fact that something truly wonderful has happened to Indian wildlife.”
Other conservation experts said, “The promise of restoring cheetahs to India is worth the challenges.
“Cheetahs play an important role in grassland ecosystems, herding prey through grasslands and preventing overgrazing,” said Marker.
Authority of Asiatic lions said, “Cheetahas cannot be India’s burden. These are African animals found in dozens of locations. The Asiatic lion is single population. A simple eyeballing of situation shows which species has to be the priority.”
Ullas Karanth wildlife biologist and director of the Centre for Wildlife Studies in Bengaluru, said “Once the cheetahs move beyond Kuno’s unfenced boundaries. They’ll be knocked out within six months by domestic dogs, by leopards and they’ll kill a goat and villagers will poison them.”
Some Critics said, “single cheetah needs a lot of space to roam.”
Once Cheetahs roamed widely throughout the Asia and Africa in great numbers but today only about 7,000 remain, primarily in the African savannas.
An Indian prince Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo, is widely believed to have killed the last three recorded cheetahs in India in the late 1940s.
Last cheetah died in 1947 in Korea district (present day Chhatisgarah, which was earlier the part of Madhya Pradesh).
Species declared extinct from India in 1952 because of habitat loss, less food and hunting for their distinctive spotted coats, from very Ancient Times kings and rich person love to hunt.
In 2013, Supreme Court ordered, “to move some of the world’s last surviving Asiatic lions from their only reserve in the western Indian state of Gujarat to Kuno for poaching fears stymied project.”
In 2020, Supreme Court Ordered, “Africian cheetah’s different subspecies could be settled in India by carefully chosen location on an experiment basis.”
“The African cheetah introduction project in India was conceived in 2009. A plan to introduce the big cat in the KNP by November last year 2021 had suffered a setback due to covid-19 pandemic,” officials said.
In September17, 2022, PM reintroduce cheetah in the land of India for maintaining the history to have cheetah.
