India to get more cheetahs; 8 arriving from Botswana
What's the story
India will receive eight Cheetahs from Botswana in a two-phase translocation process.
The first batch of four Cheetahs will arrive by May, revealed officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) at a recent review meeting on the Cheetah project in Bhopal.
Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav were present at the meeting.
Expansion
Further plans for cheetah translocation
NTCA officials said efforts were on to bring in more Cheetahs from South Africa, Botswana and Kenya.
"There is a plan to bring four cheetahs from Botswana to India by May," they said.
The other four would be brought later, with ongoing discussions for agreements with countries like Kenya.
Financial allocation
Project Cheetah: A significant investment
NTCA officials also revealed that more than ₹112cr has been spent on the Cheetah project in India till now.
A major part of the budget, about 67%, has been spent on Cheetah rehabilitation in Madhya Pradesh.
"Under Project Cheetah, cheetahs will...be relocated in a phased manner in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. The sanctuary is adjacent to the border of Rajasthan...an in-principle agreement has been reached between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to establish an interstate cheetah conservation area," the release said.
Conservation efforts
Inter-state Cheetah conservation area in the works
The release also said that special training is being given to "cheetah mitras" in Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
The state government has also approached the Supreme Court for permission to launch a Cheetah safari in Kuno, which is mandatory for launching safaris in forest areas or eco-sensitive zones.
According to forest officials, 26 Cheetahs are currently residing in Kuno National Park, of which 16 are free in the forest, while 10 are in the rehabilitation center.