New Delhi/Sheopur (MP): Executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Laurie Marker on Sunday told ANI that India is working with South Africa and Namibia for the reintroduction of more Cheetahs in India. Namibia is going to send more over the years, said Marker, who coordinated the translocation of cheetahs in India.
Following the arrival of eight Cheetahs from Namibia to India on Saturday, Laurie said, "Since its extinction, you can only get animals from somewhere else. This is the only population of cheetahs actually large enough to use for reintroduction and to establish a population, we must bring in more. India is working with South Africa for more and Namibia is also going to send more over the years."
"Saving the cheetah means changing the world. Yesterday, we started this process with the cheetah touching Indian soil after 70 years of extinction. Their extinction was human-caused, and their survival too is in the humans' hands. They are one link in the circle of life & leading the way in the vulnerability of our earth today & all our amazing wildlife species. It is up to all of us to be aware & make a difference. Only we can save the earth, ourselves, and the cheetah", she added.
The American expert has been an advisor to the Indian government on the cheetah relocation project over the past 12 years.
When asked if the African Cheetahs will adapt easily to the Indian habitat, she said that the species are adaptable and India has a history of their presence.
"The country of India has been thinking about translocation since the cheetah was declared extinct. A plan was put together in 2009 by a team of specialists from the government & Forestry department. Adaptation will be challenging and we all will need to work hard in our monitoring efforts. If conducted properly this will work. Cheetahs are adaptable. But there will be disappointments, we realize that and hope the world will understand as well", told Laurie to ANI. Meanwhile, the eight cheetahs from Namibia, who were released into Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP) a day ago, seemed to be slowly adapting to the new environment as they were seen strolling in their quarantine enclosure on Sunday and soaking in the ambience with curiosity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday released these cheetahs brought from the African country into a quarantine enclosure at the KNP in Sheopur district as part of a project to revive the population of the animal which became extinct in India in 1952.
At the time of their release, the spotted big cats looked hesitant as they took in the new environment with a look of curiosity mixed with bafflement. As the door of its cage slid open, the first of the eight cheetahs hesitated for a moment or two before stepping out onto the grass. It then ran, came to a halt near a tree and scanned the surroundings, its new home 8000 km away from its native Namibia, by turning the neck in every direction.
But the initial hesitation appeared to be fading on their second day in the new country.
All the eight cheetahs - five female and three male, named Obaan, Freddy, Savannah, Asha, Cibili, Saisa and Sasha, looked fit and fine and drank water kept at their quarantine enclosure in the KNP on Sunday. They were seen wandering and resting in their new habitat. These fastest land animals were seen looking around the new surroundings.
The new guests are still observing the unfamiliar surroundings with inquisitive minds, said the people keeping a tab on their movements.
Veterinarians and experts from India and Namibia are keeping a close watch on these spotted animals in their quarantine enclosure, where they will be kept for a month.
They will be given buffalo meat to feast on during this period.
These animals are believed to take food once in three days. They were given buffalo meat before they left Namibia for India two days ago, KNP director Uttam Sharma said.
"So they will be given food today," he added.
The cheetahs are active and in good health, Sharma said.
"We have not given new names to them. Right now we are not thinking over it. They were given names in Namibia," the director said.
The transcontinental journey of more than 8,000 km of the eight cheetahs aged between 30 to 66 months from Namibia had begun on Friday night. Around 11.30 am, as the prime minister operated a lever from the high dais, the sliding door of the special cage below opened, and the first of the cheetahs stepped into the special enclosure at the KNP