Cheetahs imported from Namibia are in good health, have adapted to Indian conditions, and are preying successfully. Once released into the wild, cheetah tourism is expected to begin in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park in February.
Cheetah tourism is expected to start in Madhya Pradesh in February of next year, as the cheetahs imported from Namibia are healthy and have adapted to Indian conditions.
The eight cheetahs introduced to Kuno National Park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September have been released in larger acclimatisation enclosures, and none are currently quarantined.
Prakash Kumar Verma, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Kuno National Park, told India Today that the cheetahs were released in stages from a small enclosure to a large enclosure.
All of the cheetahs are healthy and hunting freely. The date for the cheetahs’ release from the large enclosure into the open forest has yet to be determined. The final decision will be made by the Cheetah Task Force, a group of experts tasked with overseeing the cheetah introduction project, and the government.
However, preparations are in full swing, with authorities anticipating cheetah tourism by February 2023. Cheetahs will be seen in the wild for the first time in over 75 years if they are released. Tourist traffic is expected to increase once the cheetahs are released.
Cheetahs Elton and Freddie, both males, were released from quarantine from their boma enclosures on November 5, and Obaan, the third male, was released on November 18. Both females, Asha and Tbilisi, were released in separate enclosures on November 27, while three other females, Siyaya, Savannah, and Sasha, were released on November 28.
According to the Wildlife Institute of India’s ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India,’ 12-14 wild cheetahs (8-10 males and 4-6 females) ideal for establishing a new cheetah population would be imported from South Africa, Namibia, and other African countries as founder stock for five years initially and then as needed by the programme.
