NEW DELHI: Paving the way for the re-introduction of cheetah in the country, India and Namibia on Wednesday entered into an agreement under which eight big cats are expected to reach the country next month. Cheetah, was declared extinct in the country in 1952, will be re-introduced in India in the Kuno-Palpur National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district.
The first batch comprising four male and as many female cheetahs will arrive from Namibia in August and talks are on with South Africa too. The animals are expected to land in India before August 15.
“Completing 75 glorious years of Independence with restoring the fastest terrestrial flagship species, the cheetah, in India, will rekindle the ecological dynamics of the landscape,” tweeted Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
The main goal of the reintroduction project in India is to establish a viable cheetah metapopulation in India that allows the big cat species to perform its functional role as a top predator and provides space for its expansion within its historical range, thereby contributing to its global conservation efforts.
While the current carrying capacity for Kuno National Park is a maximum of 21 cheetahs, once restored, the larger landscape can hold about 36 cheetahs.
The carrying capacity can be further enhanced by including the remaining part of the Kuno Wildlife Division (1,280 sq km) through prey restoration.
Financial and administrative support to the cheetah reintroduction programme in India would be provided by the Union environment ministry.