President Droupadi Murmu today witnessed a symbolic handover of Cheetahs by Botswana for translocation to India under Project Cheetah. Botswana President Duma Boko was also present at this event at a Nature Reserve near Gaborone.
The captured cheetahs, originally from Ghanzi, were released into a quarantine facility by experts from India and Botswana at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve. This marks a symbolic donation of cheetahs to India by Botswana.
The cheetahs will remain in the quarantine facility for some time, before being translocated to India. Botswana will be donating eight (8) cheetahs to India to assist in the regeneration of the cheetah population in India.
Project Cheetah is a unique initiative aimed at reintroducing cheetahs to India, decades after their extinction. In September 2022, eight cheetahs from Namibia were translocated to Kuno National Park, followed by twelve cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023. Our correspondent covering this visit of President Murmu has more on the significance of sourcing Cheetahs from Botswana.
The majority of the cheetahs translocated to India so far have adapted well to their new environment, exhibiting natural behaviours such as hunting, territory establishment, and mating; and notably, also birthing cubs on Indian soil.
President Murmu will also interact with the members of a Indian community in Botswana before concluding the ongoing visit today.
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