PM Modi reaches Gwalior for Cheetah reintroduction

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Gwalior Air force Station today in Madhya Pradesh to release the eight cheetahs that have been brought to India from Namibia.

Out of the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia, five are female and three are male. They will be released into the Kuno National Park by PM Modi on his 72^nd birthday which is on Saturday, 17^th September.

These cheetahs were a part of an inter-continental translocation project that aimed to revive the cheetah population in India as they have been declared extinct in 1952.

The cheetahs will help in the restoration of the forests, grasslands and will aid in conserving biodiversity, moisture and help capture carbon from the atmosphere.

Previously, SP Yadav, Project Cheetah chief, said that PM Modi will release two cheetahs from enclosure number one and after that about 70 meters away, at the second enclosure, the PM will release another cheetah.

“Cheetah is said to be the fastest animal. It runs at a speed of 100-120 km per hour. The habitat that has been selected in Kuno is very beautiful and ideal, where there are large grasslands, small hills, and forests and it is very suitable for cheetahs. Heavy security arrangements have been made in Kuno National Park. Arrangements have been done to prevent poaching activities,” he said.

“Radio collar has been installed in all the cheetahs and will be monitored through satellite. Apart from this, there will be a dedicated monitoring team behind each cheetah who will keep monitoring location for 24 hours,” Yadav added.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria are being followed in the ambitious Project Cheetah of the Indian government, which involves the restoration of wild species, particularly the cheetah.

India has a long tradition of protecting animals. Project Tiger, one of the most effective efforts to conserve wildlife, was started back in 1972 and has helped to preserve not only tigers but also the entire ecosystem.

In keeping with this, the reintroduction of cheetahs represents a significant development in India’s history of animal conservation.