Nine cheetahs from Botswana reach Kuno park in IAF sortie

Bhopal: Nine cheetahs brought from Botswana were on Saturday released into quarantine enclosures at Kuno National Park by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, marking a fresh phase of inductions under Project Cheetah.The Botswana-origin cheetahs (six females and three males) arrived earlier in the day at Maharajpur Air Force Station in Gwalior aboard an Indian Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III in a climate-controlled flight. Following veterinary checks at the airbase, the animals were airlifted to Kuno in three Mil Mi-17 helicopters to minimise road transit and stress. MP chief minister Mohan Yadav was not present at the park due to prior official engagements, officials said.At Kuno, the cheetahs were shifted into specially prepared bomas where forest and veterinary teams will monitor them round the clock during the mandatory quarantine period. Officials said the animals will undergo health screening, acclimatisation and behavioural assessment before any phased release into the wild is considered. With the addition of the Botswana batch, India's total cheetah population climbed to 48. The figure rose from 39 to 40 after the recent birth of a cub to South African female Gamini, taking the number of surviving India-born cubs to 28.