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It's a historic step, says MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan as flight with eight cheetahs lands in India

The Boeing 747-400 plane was seen landing at the Indian Air Force Station in Gwalior after a nearly 11-hour flight from Namibia's capital Windhoek. "This is the twentieth century's most significant wildlife incident. This will significantly increase tourism in Madhya Pradesh," said Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Its a historic step, says Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan as flight with eight cheetahs lands in India - adt
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First Published Sep 17, 2022, 9:50 AM IST

A special chartered cargo flight carrying eight cheetahs from Namibia landed in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday morning as the state's Kuno Palpur National Park (KNP) prepared for the arrival of the big cats. As per the statement, on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 72nd birthday, he will release the cheetahs into the wild at the national park at around 10:45 am.

"There is no greater gift for Madhya Pradesh than the arrival of cheetahs from Namibia at Kuno National Park. They had become extinct, and reintroducing them is a historic step. This is the most significant wildlife incident of the twentieth century. This will greatly boost tourism in Madhya Pradesh," said MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, as per reports. 

The Boeing 747-400 plane, which took off from Namibia's capital Windhoek on Friday evening, was seen landing at the Indian Air Force Station in Gwalior after a nearly 11-hour flight.

The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952, and the release of the eight fast cats in Kuno National Park "is part of his efforts to revitalise and diversify India's wildlife and habitat," according to a statement from his office on Friday. This comes after PM Modi had a full day of engagements in Uzbekistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Summit the day before.

Five of the eight cheetahs are females aged 2 to 5 years old, and three are males aged 4.5 to 5.5 years old.

The spotted cats are being reintroduced in India as part of 'Project Cheetah,' which aims to develop a metapopulation in the country that allows the cheetah to perform its functional role as a top predator while also providing space for the cheetah to expand within its historical range, contributing to global conservation efforts. "The introduction of cheetah in India is being carried out under Project Cheetah, the world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project," the government has stated.

Also Read: Cheetahs' arrival in Kuno sees Sheopur property rates skyrocket

Also Read: Meet the eight Namibian cheetahs that will run on the Indian grasslands after 70 years

Also Read: PM Modi to release cheetahs to Kuno National Park: Here's all you need to know

 

 

 

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