On September 17, when he turns 72, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the world’s first intercontinental cheetah translocation at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district. The programme has been confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to the Chief Minister’s Office.
The district administration has reserved all hotels and restaurants in the Kuno area from September 14 to September 20. Cheetahs would arrive in Kuno from Namibia a day before he did.
Inaugurate the project on his birthday
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, wanted to invite PM Modi to inaugurate the project on his birthday, and a communication was sent from the chief minister’s office to the PMO, seeking suitable dates for Modi’s visit.
There had been concerns that the project would be delayed because officers were unable to capture four leopards that had been fenced inside the cheetah enclosure when it was built. However, three of them were apprehended later, and the fourth is not a problem, according to officials.
Everything else, according to officers, is in place for the reintroduction of cheetahs. The 500-hectare fenced-in area is still buzzing with activity.
Ten helipads are being built
Ten helipads are being built so that cheetahs and VIPs can land at the same time. Namibian cheetahs would travel halfway around the world to their new home in Kuno.
The transportation logistics are meticulously planned to ensure that the shortest route is taken with the fewest stops and transfers. The aerial distance is nearly 9,000 kilometres, but it’s the proverbial last mile
that has creased brows. The MP Forest Department has asked its employees to volunteer for a cheetah project.
A message in the department’s WhatsApp group says there is an urgent need for field officers and employees in Kuno Wildlife Forest Division and those interested can apply to the range officer, deputy ranger, forester or give their consent to the chief wildlife Warden.
Around 20 ex-army men are being engaged to guard the area.
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