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Officials in India announced that eight wild cheetahs have been purchased from Namibia in an effort to reintroduce the graceful animal to its former habitat.
They added that the wild cheetah, also known as ‘cheetah’, returns in August to the forests of India after more than 70 years.
The animals from Namibia will be released in the Kuno-Palpur National Park in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Although they are a vital part of India’s ecosystem, gelards were declared extinct from the country in 1952 due to poaching and habitat loss. They can reach speeds of up to 110 km/h, making them the fastest land animals.
Only about 7,000 cheetahs remain in the wild and are classified as an endangered species. Most of them live in the territory of Namibia.
Indian officials have been working to bring the species back since 2020, when India’s top court ruled that African cheetahs can be reintroduced to the country in selected locations.
Officials said the move coincides with the country’s 75th independence anniversary, as cheetahs are celebrated as part of India’s cultural heritage.
Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said: “With the 75th anniversary of independence, we will bring back the fastest land species in India, bringing it closer to the ecological dynamics of the landscape.
“The Asiatic cheetah, which used to be found in regions from the Arabian Peninsula to Afghanistan, is an endangered species that now exists only in Iran in small numbers. Attempts to bring it to India failed in the 1970s due to political conflicts.
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