Tag: Cheetahs

CM Chouhan Releases 12 Cheetahs in Kuno National Park

CM Chouhan Releases 12 Cheetahs in Kuno National Park

By LokMarg

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to conserve the environment is showing a path to the world.

After releasing 12 cheetahs, imported from South Africa, in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, CM said, “Madhya Pradesh has got a gift on Mahashivratri. I thank PM Modi from the bottom of my heart, it is his vision. Twelve Cheetahs will be rehabilitated to Kuno and the total number will become 20. The Cheetahs that had come earlier have now adapted to the situation very well.”

He said that the vision of PM Modi is to protect the environment and wildlife which is showing a path to the world. The Cheetah project is one example. “I want to congratulate the entire team for bringing the Cheetahs safely,” he added.

Earlier today, Indian Air Force’s Mi-17 helicopters carrying the second batch of 12 Cheetah landed at their destination.

The big cats made their journey in Indian Air Force’s (IAF) C-17 Globemaster cargo plane.

The aircraft after a 10-hour long flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, landed at Air Force Station Gwalior today.

Last year in September, eight cheetahs from Namibia were flown into India.

The cheetahs are being brought to India as part of the Cheetah Reintroduction project on the basis of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the South African and the Indian governments.

The MoU facilitates cooperation between the two countries to establish a viable and secure cheetah population in India; promotes conservation and ensures that expertise is shared and exchanged, and capacity is built, to promote cheetah conservation. This includes human-wildlife conflict resolution, capture and translocation of wildlife and community participation in conservation in the two countries. (ANI)

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MP: 12 Cheetahs To Arrive Tomorrow

MP: 12 Cheetahs To Arrive Tomorrow

By LokMarg

The Cheetah Project Chief of India SP Yadav on Friday said that arrangements are in place at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park for 12 African Cheetah being brought from South Africa to ensure that the big cats do not face any kind of disturbance.

“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,” SP Yadav said while speaking to ANI.
As many as 12 Cheetahs from South Africa will arrive on February 18 in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park after South Africa 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.

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.

“Tonight at around 8 pm, the C-17 Globemaster Cargo plane of the Indian Air Force will take off from O R Tambo International Airport Johannesburg and is expected to land at Gwalior Airport at 10:00 am on the 18th February. This distance will be covered in almost 10 hours. The Indian Air Force aircraft left Ghaziabad Hindon Airport on Feb 16 at 6.00 am and reached there at 12:30 according to the time of South Africa” Yadav told ANI.

Cheetah Project Chief Further told ANI that the Indian Air Force cargo plane has 11 crew members who belong to the IAF, apart from this, as an advance party, our IG, DIG from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Veterinary Doctor, Custom Officer have also been sent so that on arrival here There should not be any inconvenience in custom. Cheetah experts from South Africa will also fly in a plane with those who will come to Gwalior.

“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,” he added.

Asking about the differences between Namibian Cheetah and South African Cheetah, Yadav told ANI that there is no difference in species between the cheetahs of Namibia and South Africa, but they are completely wild cheetahs of South Africa, whose character is wild.

Yadav, who is secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA), further told ANI that after the arrival of Cheetahs at Gwalior, there will be customs clearance, and other formalities as per international convention, and after that, all Cheetah will be loaded into an Air Force MI-17 helicopter that will take them to Kuno National Park. There is already a helipad and its maintenance work has also been done for the same along with mandatory clearance for landing.

“The 12 Cheetahs that are being brought here have been selected on a technical basis. All of them have been fitted with radio collars and were kept for 30 days of quarantine. We can track them through satellite. The proper vaccination is already done,” he added.

Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Narendra Singh Tomar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be present on the occasion of the release of Cheetahs at Kuno National Park.

Earlier, eight cheetahs brought from Namibia were released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kuno National Park on the occasion of his birthday on September 17, 2022.

Radio collars have been installed in all the cheetahs and monitored through satellite. Apart from this, a dedicated monitoring team behind each cheetah keeps monitoring the location for 24 hours.

The MoU on the reintroduction of Cheetahs to India facilitates cooperation between the parties to establish a viable and secure cheetah population in India; promotes conservation and ensures that expertise is shared and exchanged, and capacity is built, to promote cheetah conservation.

Under the ambitious project of the Indian Government-Project Cheetah- the reintroduction of wild species particularly cheetahs is being undertaken as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.

India has a long history of wildlife conservation. One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures ‘Project Tiger’ which was initiated way back in 1972, has not only contributed to the conservation of tigers but also to the entire ecosystem.

In 1947-48, the last three cheetahs were hunted by the Maharaja of Korea in Chhattisgarh and the last cheetah was seen at the same time. In 1952 the Government of India declared Cheetahs extinct and since then Modi government has restored cheetahs after almost 75 years. (ANI)

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cheetah death Supreme court

9 Members Team Set For Monitoring Cheetahs In Kuno National Park

By LokMarg

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has constituted a nine-member task force for monitoring cheetah introduction in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, and other suitable designated areas said the officials on Friday.
The committee members will focus on reviewing the progress and monitoring the health status of these Cheetahs.

“Upkeep of the soft release enclosures and protection status of the entire area. Adherence to the forest and veterinary officials’ protocols, advice on Cheetah introduction in India to Madhya Pradesh forest department and NTCA on status of Cheetah with respect to overall health, behavior, and upkeep,” read an official statement.

The members of the committee will include the Principal Secretary (Forests), Madhya Pradesh – Member, Principal Secretary (Tourism), Madhya Pradesh – Member, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Madhya Pradesh – Member, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden.

Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh – Member, Alok Kumar, Dr Amit Mallick, Inspector General, NTCA, New Delhi – Member. Dr. Vishnu Priya, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun – Member, Abhilash Khandekar, Member MP SBWL, Bhopal, Subhoranjan Sen, APCCF- Wildlife – Member Convener are also part of the committee.

The committee’s officials will also monitor the hunting skills and adaptations of these Cheetahs.

“Monitor release of Cheetah, the opening of the Cheetah habitat for eco-tourism. Suggest and advice on the development of tourism infrastructure in fringe areas, regularly interact with Cheetah Mitras….,” added the statement.

Earlier on September 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that based on the recommendation of the task force set up to observe cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, it will be decided when people will be able to see the animals.

“Friends, a task force has been formed. This task force will monitor the cheetahs and see how much they have been able to adapt to the environment here. On this basis, a decision will be taken after a few months and then you will be able to see the cheetahs,” said PM Modi in the 93rd episode of his monthly radio broadcast ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

He exclaimed that people from all corners of the country have expressed happiness over the return of cheetahs to India.

“130 crore Indians are happy, full of pride; this is India’s love for nature,” PM stated.

Modi further stated that a common question was posed by people when will they get an opportunity to see the wild animals from Namibia?

PM Modi invited ideas from the people about what should be the names of the campaign and the cheetahs.

He further said, “But till then I am assigning some work to all of you. For this, a competition will be organized on the MyGov platform, in which I urge people to share certain things. What should be the name of the campaign we are running on cheetahs? Can we even think of naming all these cheetahs…. by what name should each of them be called? By the way, if this naming is of traditional nature, then it will be very nice since, anything related to our society and culture, tradition, and heritage, draws us easily.”

PM Modi also said that climate change is a major threat to marine ecosystems and that the litter on beaches is disturbing.

“It becomes our responsibility to make serious and continuous efforts to tackle these challenges,” he said.

The cheetahs were declared extinct from India in 1952 but on September 17 this year, eight cheetahs (5 females and 3 males) were brought from Namibia under ‘Project Cheetah’ as part of the government’s efforts to revitalize and diversify the country’s wildlife and habitat. (ANI)

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Return of cheetahs and challenges

Cheetahs Are Welcome, But Real Challenges Begin Now

By LokMarg

Meetu Gupta, a wildlife conservationist, says re-introducing cheetahs to Indian wildlife is a welcome step but conservation is a long process, not a one-go event

Cheetah’s return to India was a couple of years late due to COVID situation. A process of this type involves many technicalities and clearances. India has re-introduced some wild species to their natural habitats in the Bandhavgarh and Kanha forests of Madhya Pradesh. But bringing African cheetahs from Namibia to India is a first of its kind. And it involves its fair share of challenges.

Historically, cheetahs were captured in India. Nobles captured them and used them for hunting and big game. Breeding was not possible as captives. There are just two instances of when captive breeding became possible. Mughal emperor Jahangir first successfully did captive breeding of cheetahs and later the same was done in England.

During the British era, the hunting of cheetahs reduced its number rapidly. The last Indian species was killed just after Independence, in December 1947. Therefore, no Indian zoo had cheetahs at any point of time in Independent India.

Until recently, captive breeding was not possible in closed habitats. San Diego zoo (US) is one of the place where captive breeding is done. However, relocating a species from its natural habitat for captive breeding will be a Herculean task. It involves many complexities.

We have heard how the enclosure prepared for Namibian cheetahs was invaded by leopards. The question of climate difference, conflict, and competitiveness among predators are some of the crucial factors. So there is also a need to protect the species from other predators like leopards, tigers, hyenas, etc. First, the animal will be living in a small enclosure. Then it would be moved to a larger enclosure and finally released into open natural habitat. This gradual process will ensure that the species get acquainted and adapted to local conditions.

That is why we need to understand that the return of cheetahs in India is just an initiation in the direction of conservation breeding. It does not guarantee that the number of cheetahs will increase. It is a long haul.

Indian wildlife owes a lot to Indira Gandhi, who formulated a policy, constituted a Wildlife Board. Project Tiger was also started during her regime. In the current regime, budgetary cuts in the wildlife fund and fundamental changes in the policy have taken a toll on many species and their conservation. Our elephant corridors are being destroyed due to mining activities in forests etc. We need to take into account all the endangered species, not just Cheetah.

So while the return of the cheetah is welcome, we need to see if we are not neglecting other wildlife species in the name of conserving just one of them. Conservation is not a one-go event. It involves a larger question of wildlife, forest conservation, tribal policy, and policies related to other sectors that are directly or indirectly related to our wildlife and their habitat.

Several wildlife species are in crisis. The policies of successive governments in the last few decades have been fundamentally anti-conservation. We need to re-think and re-calibrate holistically on the question of wild species and their conservation.

As told to Abhishek Srivastava

The narrator is a Member of the State Wildlife Board, Chhattisgarh

Cheetahs Brought From Namibia By Charter Cargo Flight Boeing 747

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release Cheetahs in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur on Saturday and preparation is underway for reintroducing cheetahs in the country after almost 70 years.
On the occasion of his birthday, PM Modi will release eight cheetahs brought from Namibia in Kuno National Park as part of his efforts to revitalise and diversify the country’s wildlife and habitat.

Cheetah Project Chief and Member Secretary National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) SP Yadav said the Prime Minister will release two cheetahs from enclosure number one and after that about 70 meters away, which is the second enclosure PM will release another cheetah. The remaining Cheetahs will be released in their respective quarantine areas made for them.

Yadav said that Cheetahs are being brought in the country from Namibia through a special chartered cargo plane Boeing 747 which will land in India in the morning of September 17.

Speaking to ANI SP Yadav said, “We are bringing cheetahs by a special chartered cargo plane Boeing -747. This is a bigger plane and will come directly to India without refuelling and that is why we selected this aircraft. This is a dedicated aircraft and it will have eight cheetahs. Along with crew members, in addition to our officers and some veterinary doctors, wildlife experts, cheetah experts and our three Indian scientists, doctors and officers will be onboard in the plane from Namibia.”

“Laurie Marker, who is a cheetah expert, will be accompanied by three more biologists and all these people will come by chartered flight, special wooden kits have been used to bring Cheetah which is made according to the international standards, which has the facility of air movement,” he said.

Cheetah Project Chief further said that the charter flight with Cheetah is likely to depart from Namibia by today evening and will land in India tomorrow.

Talking about the Cheetahs, he said, “Cheetah is said to be the fastest animal. It runs at a speed of 100-120 km per hour. The habitat that has been selected in Kuno is very beautiful and ideal, where there are large grasslands, small hills, and forests and it is very suitable for cheetahs. Heavy security arrangements have been made in Kuno National Park. Arrangements have been done to prevent poaching activities,” he said.

“Radio collar has been installed in all the cheetahs and will be monitored through satellite. Apart from this, there will be a dedicated monitoring team behind each cheetah who will keep monitoring location for 24 hours,” Yadav added.

Yadav further said that a special charter Cargo flight of Cheetahs coming from Namibia will now directly land in Gwalior, as earlier it was supposed to land in Jaipur on September 17.

“A special charter Cargo flight of Cheetahs coming from Namibia will now land in Gwalior, earlier it was supposed to land in Jaipur on September 17. After taking them off the chartered flight in Gwalior, all the formalities of customs, immigration, and animal husbandry will be done. Later after doing these formalities, they will be directly taken at Kuno National Park by Air Force helicopter,” said Cheetah Project Chief.

Under the ambitious project of the Indian government-Project Cheetah- the reintroduction of wild species particularly cheetah is being undertaken as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.

India has a long history of wildlife conservation. One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures ‘Project Tiger’ which was initiated way back in 1972, has not only contributed to the conservation of tigers but also to the entire ecosystem.

In continuation of this, the reintroduction of cheetah, which we have lost recently is one step ahead and a milestone in the history of wildlife conservation in India. (ANI)

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