India's leading oil conglomerate Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will give Rs 50.22 crore towards funding the ambitious trans-continental relocation of Cheetahs from Africa to India, the IOC said on Tuesday, September 13.

For meeting two-thirds of the Rs 75 crore project cost, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction Project is set to welcome the first Cheetahs on Indian land after more than seven decades on September 17, 2022, the company said in a statement.IOC is the first and only corporation to offer CSR support for "Project Cheetah."

A source population of 15 to 20 cheetahs will be airlifted into Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh as part of this initiative from Namibia and South Africa.

IOC would provide Rs. 50.22 crore over a five-year period for the reintroduction of cheetahs as well as for the maintenance and protection of their habitat, the improvement of their ecosystem, staff training, and veterinary care.
During the 19th century, the number of cheetahs in India decreased, mostly as a result of bounty hunting by local rulers and influential British officials. In 1948, the last three Asiatic cheetahs were hunted, and in 1952, the cheetah was officially declared extinct in the nation.

The Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), a subspecies of the cheetah, went extinct in India, and the African Cheetah has since been imported (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus). These two subspecies have the same genes, according to research.

For the intercontinental transfer of the cheetah in its historical range in India, IOC announced on August 2 that it has inked an MoU with NTCA. The agreement was signed by SM Vaidya, Chairman, IOC, and SP Yadav, Additional Director General (Project Tiger) and Member Secretary (NTCA).

The Cheetah Introduction Endeavor is in line with IOC's aim of safeguarding India's natural habitat and legacy, according to Vaidya, reflecting the company's dedication to supporting this enormous ecological project resolutely.
''Our mascot, the now famous Indian Oil Rhino, stands strong as a testimony to that commitment,'' he said.

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