8 cheetahs arrive to India from Namibia as part of reintroduction project
Recently cheetahs from Africa have been successfully brought to India.
Five female, and three male cheetahs from Namibia have been brought to India. These cheetahs are kept in the Kuno National Park (KNP) of Madhya Pradesh.
KNP has been the habitat of other cats like leopard and lion. Because of this, there is abundant hunting and grasslands for the survival of cheetahs.
This is the first time a large carnivore has been moved from one continent to another, and released again into a wild environment. The cheetah was officially declared extinct by the Indian government in 1952.
Cheetah-
- It is included in Appendix-I of Convention on International Trade in Threatened Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- IUCN Red List Status: African Cheetah – Vulnerable, and Asiatic Cheetah – Critically Endangered.
- It is the only large mammal to have become extinct in the country since independence.
Cheetah habitat in India-
Three potential wildlife sanctuaries that can provide shelter to the cheetah population.
- Kuno-Palpur: Area: 344. 686 Sq. Km. Part of the dry deciduous forests of Kathiawar-Gir.
- Shahgarh: Area : About 4,000 sq. km. The fenced area on the India-Pakistan border.
- Nauradehi: Area: 1,197 sq. km. Spread in the southern region of Vindhya ranges.
Source- The Hindu
