A third batch of cheetahs will be brought to India.
Highlights
Two years of restoration of cheetahs in India completed. Celebrations held in Kuno to mark the occasion. Cheetahs may be released in the wild in October
Naiduniya representative, Sheopur. The restoration project of cheetahs in India completed two years on Tuesday. Now the Central Forest and Environment Ministry is preparing to bring the third batch of cheetahs to the country. Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Rawat said that the third batch of cheetahs will be brought soon, which will be released in the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur. This will also give Madhya Pradesh the distinction of being the second home of cheetahs.
Regarding the safety of the cheetahs, the Forest Minister said that the staff engaged in the care and monitoring of the cheetahs in Kuno will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities so that soon the cheetahs can be seen roaming in the open forest. The Forest Minister said that efforts are being made to release the cheetahs outside as soon as possible.
Madhya Pradesh’s Additional Principal Chief Forest Conservator Uttam Kumar Sharma said that the process of releasing the cheetahs in the open forest was to be started, but it has been postponed after the death of cheetah Pawan. If everything goes well, along with the opening of the gates of Kuno Park in October, some cheetahs can be released in the open forest for tourists to see.
Let us tell you that apart from eight cheetahs on 17 September 2022, 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa on 18 February 2023, which were also released in Kuno. Now the third consignment is to arrive. A consignment of 12-14 cheetahs is likely to be brought from Kenya, which will be released in Gandhisagar Sanctuary of Mandsaur.
The survival of four cubs is a great success
On 17 September 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight cheetahs brought from Namibia in Kuno National Park. Out of these cheetahs, four are currently alive, while female cheetahs Asha and Jwala have given birth to cubs, out of which four cubs are alive. This is being considered a major success of the project in two years.
Wild life hospital started in Kuno
A celebration was organized in Kuno National Park on Tuesday. On this occasion, a wildlife hospital built at a cost of Rs 2.29 crore was inaugurated in Kuno, where cheetahs can be treated. They will also get the facility of serious surgery. During the program, the trailer of a web series based on the success of the cheetah project in India was also released. Forest officials and employees were also honored in the Cheetah Mitra Sammelan.