All eight cheetahs that were introduced in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park are hearty and healthy, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
New Delhi: All eight cheetahs that were introduced in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park are hearty and healthy, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Responding to a question by BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi, Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that all eight cheetahs have been released in larger adaptation forests and are doing well; none of them are under quarantine.
“Sir, no health complications with the introduced cheetahs have been reported,” Choubey said in response to a question about the big cats’ health.
The minister further added that India is expected to import 12 to 14 cheetahs (8-10 males and 4-6 females) every year from several African nations, like Namibia, South Africa, and so on. The ratio of 8–10 males to 4–6 females is ideal for increasing the cheetah population in the country.
On his birthday, September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno National Park. Out of eight, five are females and three are males.
The cheetah has returned to India after being declared extinct in the country in 1952.
The extinction of the country’s large carnivores was caused by overhunting and habitat loss.
