Spotted cats are getting extinct day by day in India. Therefore, a new project has been planned to introduce some new members to the Kuno National Park Cheetah family. The first batch of the spectacular 12 cheetahs is going to reach this country by October. A group of wildlife experts recently visited South Africa to verify the advent of the Cheetahs in India. Amazingly, they have announced some positive news for wildlife lovers. India will surely benefit from the arrival of the spotted huge cats after so long.
India has been planning for the translocation of the land’s fastest animal since the ancient times of the 1950s. But, as per reports, Kuno has remained one the best habitat for the huge animals of the cat family for a long time. Now, the long-awaited dream will come true with the final arrival of the 12 cheetahs from South Africa.
Opinions Of The Experts
The experts from South Africa also opined on the matter of the cheetahs coming to India. One of the renowned person Prof. Adrian Tordiffe will come to this country along with the cheetahs. Sr. Andy Fraser will accompany him on this journey. Although both have confirmed that the cheetahs are likely to arrive by next month, the date remains a mystery.
However, nine cheetahs are still in Limpopo Province under the supervision of vet Dr. Faiser. They are spending their quarantine period here. On the other hand, Namibia is supposed to send eight cheetahs by the end of October to India.
In one of the previous posts, we can see that Fraser supported the Cheetah Metapopulation Project wholeheartedly and wished the count to be 500 to make the Cheetah population genetically viable in the country. Unfortunately, however, sending only 20 cheetahs will not meet the demand. But it can be a good starting towards the fulfillment of the future target.
Expectations Of The Wildlife Experts
According to the breeding pattern of cheetahs, they can breed very fast. Hence, the introduction of only a bunch of the terrific giant cats can lead to several animals in India through breeding. This is the ultimate goal of many top-class veterinarians and wildlife experts like Dr. Faiser. Presently, the tiger population in India is unbelievably low. Similar conditions are prevailing in the case of leopards also. Moreover, the competitor predators often end up killing the weak cubs. This certainly affects the overall population leading to the non-fulfillment of the ultimate goal.
Thus, the translocation of Cheetahs from South Africa to India is highly essential to bring the number of spotted cats to a favorable count in this country. However, everything will depend upon the breeding capacity and pattern of the animals.
The officials from South Africa are yet to declare the final date of translocation of the 12 cheetahs to India. Furthermore, as per the reports of the Madhya Pradesh official, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present on the occasion of the arrival of the cheetahs. Previously, the estimated date was 13th August. However, due to quarantine, the cheetahs have not been able to complete their tour from South Africa. So, it is likely to end by October 2022. For the eight cheetahs of Namibia, the Indian Government has also signed an MOU with the country.
As per the Indian vaccination protocols, the testing should match the microchip numbers of the animals. After proper verification, they will be transported in large crates. Finally, on reaching the national park, the animals will get a release from the crate. The members of the Indian expert team will monitor the health of the cheetahs in the holding facility and ensure that their hunting power is intact.
