India to get 12 cheetahs from South Africa every year, MoU inked

On January 26, 2023,  India and South Africa have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) under which India was set to get 12 cheetahs by February 2023. According to the MoU, the initial batch of a dozen cheetahs will be flown from South Africa in February 2023. The big cats will join the eight cheetahs introduced in MP’s Kuno National Park from Namibia last year.
 
Restoring cheetah populations is considered to be a priority for India and will have vital and far-reaching conservation consequences, which would aim to achieve several ecological objectives, including re-establishing the function role of cheetah within their historical range in India and improving the enhancing the livelihood options and economies of the local communities. Following the import of the 12 cheetahs in February, the plan is to translocate a further 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years.
 
Announcing this, India's union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav described the agreement as an 'encouraging development' for project cheetah. “A matter of pride for nature lovers. Restoring cheetahs is a priority for the government led by PM Narendra Modiji with far-reaching conservation consequences,” he wrote on Twitter.
 
The South African forestry, fisheries and environment ministry media in-charge Albi Modise said: “The initiative to reintroduce cheetah to a former range state following the local extinction of this iconic species due to over hunting and loss of habitat in the last century is being carried out following the request received from the government of the Republic of India.”