12 cheetahs may be brought from South Africa on Jan 20

A South African official associated with the project said the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has given his in-principle approval and a final MoU will be finalized in a week.

Updated on: Jan 8, 2023, 07:04:54 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A total of 12 cheetahs are likely to come to India from South Africa on January 20 under the cheetah translocation project, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park on September 17.

According to the ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India’ prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India, around 12-14 wild cheetahs that are ideal for establishing a new cheetah population would be imported from South Africa, Namibia, and other African countries as a founder stock for five years initially and then as required by the programme.

READ | Cheetahs make first kill on Indian soil within 24 hours of release

A South African official associated with the project said, the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has given his in-principle approval and a final MoU will be finalized in a week. “Union forest director general Chandra Prakash Goyal, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) member secretary SP Yadav and other officials of the forest ministry will leave for South Africa from Delhi on January 13 to bring the cheetahs,” an official said requesting anonymity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.