In Pics: PM Modi releases 8 cheetahs from Namibia at Kuno National Park on his birthday

The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952. Cheetahs have been brought under an MoU signed earlier this year. Cheetahs will help in the restoration of open forest and grassland ecosystems in India and will help conserve biodiversity and enhance the ecosystem services like water security, carbon sequestration and soil moisture conservation. (Photo: PTI)

Under the ambitious Project Cheetah of the Indian government, the reintroduction of wild species particularly cheetah is being undertaken as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.

India has a long history of wildlife conservation. One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures `Project Tiger` was initiated way back in 1972.

Arrangements have been done to prevent poaching activities in Kuno National Park. Radio collar has been installed in all the cheetahs and will be monitored through satellite.

Apart from this, there will be a dedicated monitoring team behind each cheetah who will keep monitoring the location for 24 hours. (Photo: ANI)

The Kuno National Park is situated on the Northern side of the Vidhyachal mountains with an area of 344.686 sq km. It was named after a tributary of Chambal River, Kuno, a forest official said.

The last cheetah died in the country in 1947 in Korea district in present-day Chhattisgarh, which was earlier part of Madhya Pradesh, and the species was declared extinct from India in 1952.

The 'African Cheetah Introduction Project in India' was conceived in 2009. A plan to introduce the big cat in the KNP by November last year had suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.