New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday released cheetahs brought from Namibia in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. Eight cheetahs -- five female and three male -- were brought to Rajasthan's Jaipur in an aircraft as part of an inter-continental translocation project. The big cats were then taken to Kuno National Park in MP's Sheopur district in helicopters. 


On the occasion of his 72nd birthday, PM Modi arrived at the Gwalior airport from New Delhi and then left for Kuno National Park (KNP) in the Sheopur district. He then released the cheetahs into quarantine enclosures.


VIDEO | Prime Minister Narendra Modi releases the cheetahs that were brought from Namibia this morning, at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.#NarendraModi #PMModi #PMModiBirthdaypic.twitter.com/H7YPSSugn9


— ABP LIVE (@abplive) September 17, 2022





No Meaningful Effort Made To Rehabilitate Cheetahs For Decades: PM Modi


Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Modi congratulated the citizens as he thanked the government of Namibia for helping make the initiative possible: "Today, the Cheetahs have come back to our land after decades. On this historic day, I want to congratulate all Indians and also thank the government of Namibia. This could not have been possible without their help."


"Decades ago, the age-old link of biodiversity was broken and had become extinct, today we have a chance to reconnect it. Along with these cheetahs, the nature-loving consciousness of India has also awakened with full force," he added, as quoted by news agency ANI.


He said it was unfortunate that "we declared Cheetahs extinct from the country in 1952, but for decades no meaningful effort was made to rehabilitate them. Today, as we celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the country has started rehabilitating Cheetahs with new energy."






He further said that people will have to show patience and wait for a few months to see these Cheetahs in Kuno National Park. "These Cheetahs have come as guests, unaware of this area. For them to be able to make Kuno National Park their home, we'll have to give these Cheetahs a few months' time," PM Modi emphasised.


Following international guidelines, India is trying its best to settle these cheetahs. "We must not let our efforts fail," he said.


The Prime Minister stressed that nature, environment, animals, and birds for India are not just about sustainability and security. "For us, it is also the basis of our sensibility and spirituality. Today, India of the 21st century is giving a message to the world that economy and ecology are not conflicting fields," he stated.


ALSO READ | Cheetah Relocation Plan – A Glimpse At More Than 50 Years Of Efforts And The Way Forward


Cheetah Reintroduction Programme


Eight cheetahs were brought to Gwalior from Namibia in a special plane on Saturday morning as part of the cheetah reintroduction programme. The animals were later flown to the KNP, located in the Sheopur district, in two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters.


The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. The 'African Cheetah Introduction Project in India' was conceived in 2009. A plan to introduce the big cat in the KNP by November last year had suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PTI reported citing officials.


"The release of wild cheetahs by the prime minister in Kuno National Park is part of his efforts to revitalise and diversify India’s wildlife and its habitat," the PMO had informed in a statement.


The aircraft bringing the cheetahs to India was modified to allow cages to be secured in the main cabin. However, it still allowed full access to veterinarians for the cats during the flight, according to PTI.


The aircraft is an ultra-long range jet capable of flying for up to 16 hours and so it could fly directly from Namibia to India without a stop to refuel.


The cheetahs were to spend their entire air transit period empty stomach, according to a senior Indian forest department official cited by PTI. It was a precautionary step needed as the long journey could create nausea-like feelings in animals, leading to other complications.


Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh is spread over 748 square kilometres. It is estimated to have the capacity to sustain 21 cheetahs.


Cheetahs got completely wiped out from India due to their use for coursing, sport hunting, overhunting, and habitat loss. The last spotted feline died in 1948 in the Sal forests of Chhattisgarh's Koriya district.


(With Agency Inputs)