Only about 7,000 cheetahs remain in the wild worldwide, and the animals are classified as vulnerable, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species
Cheetahs are set to return to India’s forests this August for the first time in more than 70 years, officials have announced, according to the Guardian.
Eight cheetahs from Namibia will roam freely in the Kuno-Palpur National Park in Madhya Pradesh state, as part of efforts to reintroduce the animals into their natural habitat.
Only about 7,000 cheetahs remain in the wild worldwide, and the animals are classified as vulnerable, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species. Namibia has the largest population of cheetahs in the world.
Officials have been working to relocate the animals since 2020 after India’s highest court announced that African cheetahs can return to a carefully selected location.
The move coincides with the country’s 75th Independence Day, celebrating cheetahs as an important part of India’s cultural heritage.
India’s environment minister, Bhupender Yadav, tweeted: “Completing 75 glorious years of Independence with the restoration of India’s fastest land iconic species, the cheetah, will reignite the landscape’s ecological dynamism».
Happy to share that India has signed a historic MoU with Namibia to promote Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Biodiversity Utilization. The MoU seeks to promote conservation and restoration of cheetahs in their former range from which the species went extinct. pic.twitter.com/MNVyw8S2eQ
— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) July 20, 2022
The cheetah is a large feline found in Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal. It is estimated that it can run at a speed of 80 to 128 km/h (with the average speed recorded at 93 and 98 km/h). To achieve the above speed and in sharp contrast to other big cats, the cheetah has a variety of adaptations for prolonged hunting such as a light, streamlined body, long thin legs and a long tail, which make it suitable for rapid acceleration and the ability to perform extreme changes in direction , while moving at high speed.
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