Cheetah Returns: 17th September- SAVE THE DATE
The wait is about to get over when India will welcome Namibian Cheetahs from South Africa on September 17th. Kuno Palpur National Park, a famous though less commercialised national park in India is the finalised protected area for inhabiting the Cheetahs. These giant yet alluring species will be unleashed into the park on the same day by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as stated by the forest minister Vijay Shah. The Cheetah re-introduction program in India is a crucial yet challenging step. It took more than just efforts to finalise the location and make arrangements for the sustainability of the big cat. "The cheetahs brought from Namibia will reach Kuno Palpur on September 17. They will stay in smaller enclosures during the quarantine phase before being shifted to the bigger one," Shah said.
(Image credits: Photo by David Groves on Unsplash)
The Cheetah reintroduction project has brought along hope of seeing an escalation in footfall of tourists and more employment generation opportunities. The cheetah re-introduction program is of historical significance for India and globally since the relocation of an entire specie to a new environment is full of challenges and experiences. This will further boost wildlife's importance and sustainability. "The shifting of cheetahs, tigers or lions is not an easy task, as very few such projects have been successful in the world. The climate at Kuno-Palpur Sanctuary is perfect for the cheetah," Scindia added. India witnessed the extinction of Cheetahs in 1952 and the re-introduction of African cheetahs in India has been undergoing since 2009.
