Sheopur, Feb 28 (IANS) Union Minister for Environment and Forest, Bhupender Yadav, on Saturday released nine cheetahs into Kuno National Park in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.

This fresh batch of nine cheetahs – six males and three females – were brought from Botswana in an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane to Gwalior airport after a more than 10-hour-long journey and then transported to Sheopur in two helicopters.

Earlier, it was stated that eight cheetahs would be brought from Botswana, however, a total of nine cheetahs have arrived and they were released at the Kuno National Park. All these nine cheetahs have been kept in quarantine enclosures for now.

The arrival of nine new big cats as part of the Centre’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction programme, takes the total number of this species in the country to 48, including 28 cubs born at the park since the first batch of cheetahs was released here on September 17, 2022.

Officials told IANS that multiple quarantine enclosures have been prepared at the park to ensure stress-free transfer of the animals. Under the protocol, the cheetahs will remain in large, fenced enclosures for about a month.

This is the third batch of African cheetahs brought to India under the translocation programme, following earlier introductions from Namibia in September 2022 and South Africa in February 2023.

The latest transfer from Botswana is part of a government-to-government agreement aimed at establishing a genetically diverse, free-ranging cheetah population in India over the next decade.

During the quarantine period, which is likely to be between 15 days to 30 days, wildlife veterinarians and forest officials will monitor their feeding patterns, movement, adaptation to local climate, and any signs of stress or disease.

Blood samples and health parameters will be assessed regularly. The cheetahs will soon be fitted with GPS satellite collars, which will be checked to ensure real-time tracking once the animals are eventually released into larger soft-release areas.

Notably, since 2023 as many as 30 cubs have been born at Kuno, of which 28 have survived. This year alone, a total of nine cubs were born in two litters between February 7 and February 18 and all have survived so far.

–IANS

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