Cheetahs to arrive in India on 17 Sep: MP Chief Minister

In the next two weeks, India will be home to Cheetahs, which went extinct nearly seven decades ago.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be arriving at Kuno National Park in the state to welcome the big cats on September 17, which also happens to be the prime minister's birthday.

The large carnivores went extinct in the country in 1952.

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India is getting Cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa.

As per officials, an MoU between India and Namibia has already been signed and the one with SA is expected to be signed soon.

Ahead of the Madhya Pradesh cabinet meeting at the secretariat in its capital city Bhopal, Chouhan told his ministers that Modi will be arriving at Kuno National Park on September 17 to launch the ambitious Cheetah introduction project.

WION confirms that all arrangements for the relocation of another set of Cheetahs from South Africa are already in place but the agreement between India and SA is in its final stages pending signatures from the authorities.

As per India's Environment Ministry, Cheetahs were earlier supposed to arrive in India in August.

YV Jhala, the man representing India as in-charge of the relocation and who is overseeing the developments in Namibia presently, had earlier told WION that Cheetahs will be airlifted from Namibia and South Africa and brought to either Jaipur or Gwalior airports, in Indian states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh respectively, considering their proximity to their new home in Kuno National Park.

Jhala, who is the Dean of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), had said the Cheetahs will be kept awake under mild tranquilization for the duration of the journey.

As per officials, Cheetahs will be brought in a chartered plane with veterinarians from South Africa and Namibia onboard and the animals will be transferred from Jaipur/Gwalior airports to Kuno via choppers.

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Back up ambulances have also been arranged in case they need to be transported by road. The total travel time is expected to be around 12 hours.

According to NTCA officials, if the Cheetahs show any sign of agitation or abnormal behaviour, a sedative can be given to control them.

Tranquilizers or sedatives are injected into animals to control their anxiety, stress and agitation. It makes them drowsy and calm and sometimes even in a state of sleep depending on the dosage.

Cheetahs will undergo 30 days of quarantine at Kuno national park after undergoing the same in their host countries.