World’s fastest land animal, Cheetah is expected to be reintroduced in India. Cheetah will be introduced at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in November 2021.
Why it is being reintroduced?
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India had spotted its last Cheetah in Chhattisgarh in 1947. After the death of last Cheetah, it was declared extinct in 1952.
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Supreme Court of India had also given its approval in January 2020 to introduce African cheetahs in a suitable habitat in India as an experiment to see if they can adapt to the environment.
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Thus, Cheetah Reintroduction Project was prepared by Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
How it will be reintroduced?
Madhya Pradesh had started the process of creating an enclosure for around 10 cheetahs. It includes five females as well. They will be brought from South Africa.
Why Kuno National Park was selected?
Kuno is located in Chambal region. It is spread across an area of 750 sq km. Park has a conducive environment for cheetah. It is a protected area which is having considerable population of four-horned antelopes, nilgai, chinkara, spotted deer and wild boar. Thus, the park has a good prey base for cheetahs.
About Cheetah
The fastest land animal is native to Africa and central Iran. It can attain running speed of 80 to 128 km/h. Cheetah is listed in “vulnerable category” of International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of threatened species. This is because, its population has declined to 7100 (as of 2016) and are found primarily in African savannas.