The second batch of 12 cheetahs will be flown in on Friday from South Africa to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. Following the successful adaptation of eight cheetahs which were brought from Namibia last year, the state is all set to welcome the second lot of 'Big Cats'.
The Cheetah Project Chief of India SP Yadav on Friday said that all provisions have been made at national park to ensure that the African cheetahs do not face any disturbance.
While speaking to ANI Yadav said, "Close cameras have been installed and the big cats have been fitted with radio collars for live tracking. The quarantine enclosure we have made this time is better than the previous one."
South Africa had last month signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the re-introduction of Cheetahs in India to establish a viable cheetah population in the Asian country.
Procedures And Preparation For Arrival
The Namibian cheetahs will arrive on Saturday morning at the Gwalior Air Force base in a C-17 Globemaster Cargo plane of the Indian Air Force.
The cargo plane will have 11 IAF-affiliated crew members. Moreover, IG, DIG from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Veterinary Doctor, and Customs Officer have been sent in advance so that there won't be any disruptions in customs upon arrival. An aircraft will also carry cheetah specialists from South Africa.
After the cheetahs arrive in Gwalior, they will undergo customs clearance and other procedures in accordance with international convention before being loaded into an Air Force MI-17 helicopter and flown to Kuno National Park, SP Yadav said. There is already a helipad, and maintenance of the same has been done as well along with mandatory clearance for landing.
SP Yadav said that after bringing Cheetahs to Kuno National Park from South Africa all of their health will be tested and then they will be kept in quarantine for a Month. For this 10 quarantine boomers have been made which will be kept. Two Cheetahs each stay in two enclosures and the rest of the other cheetahs will be kept in separate quarantine boomers
SP Yadav said, "The cheetahs coming from two different reserves are kept in crates made according to international standards. Our experience of bringing cheetahs from Namibia helps a lot that's why the whole exercise is going very smoothly."
When asked about the distinctions between the South African and Namibian cheetahs, Yadav responded that there is no distinction between the two species, but that the South African cheetahs belong completely to the wild and have a wild character.
The reintroduction of cheetahs under the Project Cheetah initiative of the Indian Government is in accordance with IUCN guidelines. India has a long history of wildlife conservation. Project Tiger, one of the most effective initiatives to conserve wildlife, was started back in 1972 and has helped to preserve not just tigers but also the entire ecosystem. The Maharaja of Korea chased the last three cheetahs in Chhattisgarh in 1947–1948 and killed them. The Indian government declared the extinction of cheetahs in 1952, and after 75 years, the Modi government brought them back.
(With inputs from ANI)