Namibia MoU signed, 1st batch of cheetahs to arrive before Independence Day

NEW DELHI: India and Namibia on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for reintroduction of cheetahs into the historical range in India. First batch of eight cheetahs comprising four male and as many female cheetahs are expected to arrive in India before Independence Day.
The cheetahs will be released in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. India plans to introduce 8-10 cheetahs every year with a total 50 from Namibia, South Africa and other African countries over the next five years.
"The MoU seeks to promote conservation and restoration of cheetahs in their former range from where the species went extinct," tweeted environment minister Bhupender Yadav after signing the MoU with the deputy PM and foreign minister of namibia Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah.
Under the MoU, both the countries will also collaborate in areas of climate change, environmental governance, environmental impact assessments, pollution and waste management. "The main goal of the project is to establish viable cheetah metapopulation in India that allows cheetah to perform its functional role as a top predator and provide space for expansion within its historical range...," said the environment ministry.