MADHYA PRADESH: The Namibian Cheetahs that were reintroduced in India's Kuno National Park (KNP) in September, were renamed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited citizens to suggest new names.
Accordingly, the new names are Pavan, Aasha, Daksha, and Nirva. The last cheetahs recorded in the Indian wilderness were in 1947, and they were declared extinct in 1952.
During his Mann Ki Baat on September 25, 2022, PM Modi had urged the public to come up with ideas to promote and spread awareness of Project Cheetah.
In response, a contest was held on the mygov.in portal of the Indian government from September 26 to October 31, 2022, and 11,565 entries were received. A selection committee looked carefully at the submissions and chose names with cultural importance and value for their conservation, according to a statement released on Thursday by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
The initiative "Cheetah Introduction" aims to create healthy cheetah metapopulations in India and to support international conservation efforts. As per the Action Plan, yearly 10-12 cheetahs are required to be imported from African countries for the next 5 years at least.
Eight cheetahs were relocated from Namibia to India in September 2022 as a result of an MoU for cheetah conservation that the government of India and the Republic of Namibia signed in July 2022. An MoU for conservation collaboration with the Republic of South Africa was signed in January 2023. In February 2023, a group of 12 cheetahs (7 males and 5 females) were translocated from South Africa to India.
In order to forward India's ambitious initiative on Cheetah Introduction, a consultation workshop featuring international cheetah experts, biologists, veterinarians, and forest officials was organised on February 20, 2023 at the Kuno National Park.
All cheetahs brought from SA to KNP released from quarantine to better facilities
