Namibian cheetahs to be released into the wild in a month: Forest minister

Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Vijay Shah said that the Namibian cheetahs would be released into the wild during the next one month.

"Will release two male cheetahs to jungle approximately in a month. A date has not been fixed yet. After monitoring male cheetahs and their situation, we will release the female cheetahs," Vijay Shah said on Sunday.

The first set of Cheetahs brought from Namibia was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Kuno National Park here in September, when eight of the big cats were flown in to revive their population in India after over half a century it went extinct in the country.

Minister Vijay Shah earlier told ANI, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up the initiative of re-introduction of Cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa.

In the September lot, of the eight cheetahs, five were females, and they were flown in from Windhoek in Namibia to Gwalior and then transferred to Kuno in helicopters.

Meanwhile, 12 cheetahs from South Africa landed at Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior Airport on Saturday. The big cats made their journey in Indian Air Force's C-17 Globemaster Cargo plane. From there they will be taken to their new home, 'The Kuno National Park' in the state, officials said.

After 12 Cheetahs were rehabilitated to Kuno, the total number of big cats in the national park rose to 20.

The cheetahs from South Africa are now in quarantine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday welcomed the new batch of cheetahs 12 cheetahs in Kuno National Park.