After mandatory clearances, the big cats would be transported to Kuno by IAF helicopter along with African cheetah experts. By noon, the cheetahs would be released into quarantine bomas by Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
#WATCH | Indian Air Force’s (IAF) C-17 Globemaster aircraft carrying 12 #cheetahs from South Africa lands in Madhya… https://t.co/yTcMyaZRP6
— TOI Bhopal (@TOIBhopalNews) 1676695496000
IAF’s C-17 Globemaster took off for South Africa from Hindon airbase on Thursday to get the cheetahs.
All cheetahs being brought to Kuno are wild born and have grown amongst competing predators like lion, leopard, hyena and wild dogs. They are considered predator savvy and should respond appropriately when they encounter a new predator guild in India including tigers, leopards, wolves, dholes, striped hyena, sloth bears.
Cheetahs were made available by Phinda Game Reserve (3), Tswalu Kalahari Reserve (3), Waterberg Biosphere (3), Kwandwe Game Reserve (2) and Mapesu Game Reserve (1) and their translocation is in line with IUCN Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocation and in accordance with international veterinary standards and protocols.
Earlier on September 17, 2022, eight Cheetahs were brought to the Kuno National Park from Namibia in South Africa and were released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday. Radio collars have been installed on all the cheetahs and they are monitored through satellite. Apart from this, a dedicated monitoring team behind each cheetah keeps monitoring the location for 24 hours.
