Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated his 72nd birthday in style by releasing wild cheetahs- which had become extinct from India 70 years ago- in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park
Modi, whose birthday falls on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti, released eight cheetahs –5 female and 3 male- that were brought from Namibia.
Cheetahs are being introduced in India under Project Cheetah, which is world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project
With a hope to revitalise India’s wildlife and its habitat, the world’s fastest animal have been brought to the country after it became extinct from here in 1952
Cheetahs which mainly preys on small antelopes have long, graceful legs and is capable of reaching speeds up to 70 mph
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have classified cheetahs as ‘vulnerable’ species and there are currently fewer than 7,000 cheetahs left around the world
Modi said that the countrymen will have to show patience and wait for a few months to see the cheetahs released in the Kuno National Park
The Prime who termed this day as a ‘historic occasion’ said that an extensive research was conducted by working closely with South African and Namibian experts.
As a part of the detailed Cheetah Action Plan, scientific surveys were conducted across the country for searching for the most suitable habitat for cheetahs and then Kuno National Park was chosen.