South Africa has signed an agreement with India to release dozens of African cheetahs to the Asian country over the next decade, its environment authority said on Thursday, after they were first transported last year from neighboring Namibia. A large species of cheetah-like cat disappeared from India about 70 years ago.
Kuno National Park
In September, eight radio-collared African cheetahs were released in Kuno National Park in central India after traveling 8,000km from Namibia, the first time wild cheetahs have been moved across continents for release.
South Africa’s environment ministry said in a statement “An initial batch of 12 cheetahs is scheduled to fly from South Africa to India in February 2023, the big cats will join those introduced from Namibia, the plan is to relocate another 12 per year for the next eight to ten years”.
