Months after eight cheetahs were brought to India from Namibia, the Indian Air Force brought 12 more cheetahs from South Africa to Gwalior on Saturday. These cheetahs were later taken to Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district, where they will be kept in quarantine enclosures. Of these animals, there are seven males and five females.
The plane carrying these big cats landed at the Gwalior airport at around 10 AM. Upon their arrival at the Kuno National Park , cheetahs will be released to the quarantine bomas by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister for Environment and Forests Bhupender Yadav.
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These cheetahs were brought from the O R Tambo International Airport, Gauteng, South Africa. While authorities have already set up 10 quarantine bomaas at the park, these animals will be kept in a pair each in two facilities. These cheetahs were finally brought in to the country after an agreement was signed between India and South Africa last month. Even as the government was planning to bring these mammals into India, the same got delayed due to formalities.
It may be noted that the government is bringing these animals as a part of its ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme. Even as the last cheetah in the country had died in 1947, the government had declared the extinction of the species in 1952. The eight cheetahs that were brought in from Namibia last year have been kept in the hunting enclosures at the same park. According to reports, the government will be required to pay USD 3000 to South Africa for their capture and translocation.
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As per the wildlife laws of the country, it is necessary to quarantine any animal before they are brought in from abroad and are kept in isolation for another 30 days upon arrival. The number of cheetahs has increased to 507 currently from 217 in 2011.
