How The Cheetahs Were Sent To India

On February 18, 12 cheetahs from South Africa arrived in Madhya Pradesh and were released into the quarantine enclosures at the Kuno National Park in Sheopur district.

In September 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released eight cheetahs from Namibia into the Kuno National Park.

With the addition of the 12 South African cheetahs, the number of cheetahs at the Kuno National Park has gone up to 20.

How did the South African cheetahs make their way to India? Take a look:

IMAGE: A cheetah at the Rooiberg veterinary facility, Limpopo province, South Africa, February 17, 2023, looks on after being sedated, before being flown with 11 others from South Africa to India under an agreement between the two governments to introduce the African cats to India over the next decade. All Photographs: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

IMAGE: Dr Andy Fryser aims his gun as he sedates one of the cheetahs.

IMAGE: A dart used to sedate the cheetahs.

IMAGE: A cheetah lies after being sedated, here, below, below and below.

IMAGE: A cheetah is loaded into a truck after being sedated.

IMAGE: Crates with some of the 12 cheetahs on a truck before being loaded on an Indian Air Force aircraft ahead of their departure at the airport in Johannesburg.

IMAGE: IAF personnel check if all is well with the cheetahs on board the aircraft.

Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com

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