MP CM Shivraj Chouhan Releases 12 More Cheetahs At Kuno National Park: Watch

Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday released the second batch of 12 Cheetah brought from South Africa, to their new home Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday released the second batch of 12 Cheetah brought from South Africa to their new home Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

The second batch of twelve cheetahs from South Africa has now been released in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on Saturday. Union ministers Bhupender Yadav, Narendra Singh Tomar and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the cheetahs brought from South Africa to their new home Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. in the Kuno National Park.

Indian Air Force's Mi-17 helicopters carrying the second batch of 12 Cheetahs landed at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. An IAF C-17 aircraft carrying the second batch of 12 Cheetahs landed at Air Force Station Gwalior earlier in the day, after a 10-hour flight from Johannesburg, South Africa. These Cheetahs were then airlifted in IAF helicopters for Kuno National Park.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan earlier told ANI, "In Kuno National Park today, the number of Cheetahs is going to increase. I thank PM Modi from the bottom of my heart, it is his vision. 12 Cheetahs will be rehabilitated to Kuno & total number will become 20."

According to PTI, these cheetahs - seven males and five females - comprise the second set of big cats coming to the state, with the first group of eight from Namibia having been released into the KNP on September 17 last year at a function by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 72nd birthday.

With the addition of these 12 members, the count of cheetahs at the Kuno National Park has gone up to 20. "The cheetahs from South Africa have been quarantined," Kuno Divisional Forest Officer P K Verma told PTI from the spot.

These animals had embarked on a journey to their new home thousands of miles away aboard an IAF transport aircraft from the O R Tambo International Airport, Gauteng in South Africa shortly before midnight, a project participant and expert said earlier.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) head S P Yadav and the Cheetah Project Chief SP Yadav told ANI, that these felines will be kept in quarantine bomas (enclosures) for 30 days as per international protocol, if they have acclimated they will be then released in a larger enclosure where they can hunt for prey.