South Africa signs deal to relocate thousands of cheetahs to India
This species of cats is meowing across the ocean...
These speedsters have recently become the talk of the town after South Africa signed an agreement with India to reintroduce dozens of cheetahs to the South Asian country.
CNN shares that the first batch of 12 cheetahs is to be flown over in February, according to a statement from South Africa’s environmental department, which added the plan was to relocate “a further 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years”.
The reason behind this mass relocation is to “achieve a number of ecological objectives”, including restoring the role of the cheetah within India, where the endangered cats used to roam, and “enhancing the livelihood options and economies of the local communities”.
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Experts share that in 1952, the Asiatic cheetah was declared extinct in India. Habitat loss and deaths at the hands of hunters seeking their distinctive spotted hides lead to the loss of these felines.
There has been a major push by India's Supreme Court to reintroduce the animals after they ruled that African cheetahs, a different subspecies, could be brought into the country at a "carefully chosen location" on an experimental basis.
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A statement in 2021 from India’s Environment Minister, Bhupender Yadav, said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “keen on the protection and conservation of seven major big cats including cheetah”.
“Project Cheetah aims to bring back independent India’s only extinct large mammal – the cheetah. As part of the project, 50 cheetahs will be introduced in various National Parks over five years."
Stay tuned for more as our cheetahs go global.
We will bring you the latest at East Coast Radio.
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Image courtesy of ECR