Prime Minister Narendra Modi said bringing cheetahs back to India would help restore open forest and grassland ecosystems and also lead to better livelihood opportunities for the local community.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned 72 on September 17, released cheetahs flown in from Namibia into a special enclosure in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
Cheetahs – brought from Namibia – are being introduced to India as part of the Cheetah Project, the world’s first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation project.
Addressing the nation on the occasion, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude by highlighting a handful of opportunities that give humanity a chance to rectify the past and build a new future.
Prime Minister Modi said: “Decades ago, the age-old bond of biodiversity that was severed and died out, today we have a chance to restore it. Today, the cheetah has returned to Indian soil.
An unforgettable day in Madhya Pradesh! pic.twitter.com/ius7WxTlDN
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 17, 2022
The Prime Minister pointed out that this monumental occasion has led to the awakening of the full force of India’s nature-loving consciousness. Modi congratulated all his fellow citizens on this historic occasion while making a special mention to Namibia and its government with whose cooperation the cheetahs have returned to Indian soil after decades.
“I’m sure these cheetahs will not only make us aware of our responsibilities to nature, but also make us aware of our human values and traditions,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi remarked that even though these fastest mammals went extinct in India in 1952, no significant effort has been made to rehabilitate them over the past seven decades.
“In 1947, when there were only the last three cheetahs left in the country, they too were hunted mercilessly and irresponsibly in the forests of Sal,” he added.
He mentioned that a detailed action plan for the cheetahs was prepared while Indian scientists conducted extensive research, working closely with South African and Namibian experts. The Prime Minister further added that scientific surveys were carried out across the country to locate the most suitable area for these big cats and then Kuno National Park was chosen for this auspicious start.
The Prime Minister reiterated that when nature and the environment are protected, the future becomes secure and the paths to growth and prosperity open up.
Modi said: “When cheetahs sprint in Kuno National Park, the grassland ecosystem will be restored and this will also lead to an increase in biodiversity. Employment opportunities will increase due to the growth of ecotourism in the region, opening up new possibilities for development.
