Supported personally by leader Narendra Modi, the operation launched a year ago has faced difficulties. Of the twenty big cats imported from Namibia and South Africa, nearly half died.
New Delhi
17th September 2022. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday and the government has chosen the date to release the first cheetah into the Ancient National Park in the center of the country. Eight cats donated by Namibia were airlifted before being transferred to three army helicopters. Never before has an intercontinental project to reintroduce wild beasts been attempted. The cheetah was the hunting partner of the Maharajas and Mughal emperors. Then it disappeared in the decades following independence.
Wearing a bush hat, camera slung over his shoulder, Narendra Modi activates the crank that controls the hatch. The first animal emerged, exploring its surroundings in a wary manner. “ Cheetahs have returned to Indian soil », said the Indian leader before adding that this return would promote biodiversity and ecotourism.
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Namibian cheetah in quarantine. Then they are placed in the “pen” 50…
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