Kuno not ready ecologically at the moment to accept cheetahs: Faiyaz Khudsar downtoearth.org.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from downtoearth.org.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
After the Supreme Court nod last year, the cheetah may roam Indian forests again by the end of this year. But it will be the African cheetah, not the Asian species. Has something similar been done before? What are the implications of such a move? Let’s find out
BHOPAL: Cheetah, the world’s fastest land animal which was declared extinct in India in 1952, is expected to be re-introduced into the country in November this year at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, state Forest Minister Vijay Shah said on Sunday. The country’s last spotted cheetah died in Chhattisgarh in 1947 and it was declared extinct in the country in 1952.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) some years back prepared a cheetah re-introduction project.
The Supreme Court had earlier given its approval to introduce African cheetahs to a suitable habitat in India on an experimental basis. “We have started the process of creating an enclosure for around 10 cheetahs, including five females, to be brought from South Africa and it is going to be completed by August,” Shah said.