India

Project Cheetah: PM releases first batch of wild Cheetahs in Kuno National Park

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today released wild Cheetahs – which had become extinct in India – in Kuno National Park. Cheetahs – brought from Namibia – are being introduced in India under Project Cheetah, the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.

The Prime Minister released Cheetahs at two release points in Kuno National Park. The Prime Minister also interacted with ‘Cheetah Mitras’, Cheetah Rehabilitation Management Group and students at the venue. The Prime Minister addressed the Nation on this historic occasion.

In his address to the nation, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude by highlighting the handful of opportunities that give humanity a chance to rectify the past and build a new future. He mentioned that we have one such moment in front of us today. “Decades ago, the age-old link of biodiversity that was broken and became extinct, today we have a chance to restore it”, he said, “Today the cheetah has returned to the soil of India.” The Prime Minister underlined that this monumental occasion has led to the nature-loving consciousness of India being awakened with full force. PM Modi congratulated all the countrymen on this historic occasion while making a special mention of Namibia and its government with whose cooperation, the cheetahs have returned to Indian soil after decades. “I am sure, these cheetahs will not only make us aware of our responsibilities towards nature but will also make us aware of our human values ​​and traditions”, the Prime Minister remarked.

The Prime Minister remarked that even though cheetahs had become extinct from India in 1952, no meaningful effort was made to rehabilitate them for the past seven decades. The Prime Minister expressed elation that in the Azadi Ka Amit Mahotsav, the country has started to rehabilitate cheetahs with new energy. “Amrit has the power to revive even the dead”, PM Modi remarked. The Prime Minister further added that this elixir of duty and faith in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is not just reviving our heritage, but now cheetahs have also set foot on the soil of India.

Drawing everyone’s attention to the years of hard work that went behind making this rehabilitation successful, the Prime Minister said that the utmost energy was deployed for an area that is not given too much political importance. He mentioned that a detailed Cheetah Action Plan was prepared while our talented scientists conducted extensive research, working closely with South African and Namibian experts. The Prime Minister further added that scientific surveys were conducted across the country to locate the most suitable area for cheetahs, and then Kuno National Park was chosen for this auspicious start. “Today, our hard work is in front of us as a result”, he added.

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 cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952. The Cheetahs that would be released are from Namibia and have been brought under an MoU signed earlier this year. The introduction of Cheetah in India is being done under Project Cheetah, the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.

Cheetahs will help restore open forest and grassland ecosystems in India. This will help conserve biodiversity and enhance the ecosystem services like water security, carbon sequestration and soil moisture conservation, benefiting society at large. This effort, in line with the Prime Minister’s commitment to environmental protection and wildlife conservation, will also lead to enhanced livelihood opportunities for the local community through eco-development and ecotourism activities.

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