MP CM , Union ministers Yadav, Tomar inspect Kuno National Park ahead of cheetah reintroduction
Sep 11, 2022
By Amit Kumar
Sheopur, (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 11 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar visited Kuno National Park on Sunday to inspect the area where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit and reintroduce cheetahs on September 17.
Speaking to ANI at Kuno National Park, Bhupendra Yadav said, "The day is marked as the martyrdom of the forest personnel. Many people are engaged in forest protection and work across the country despite facing many challenges in adverse conditions. In order to increase work efficiency, we have also been working and a committee was constituted by the ministry also."
Yadav further told ANI that cheetahs are returning to the country on September 17.
"This is the first of its kind project in the world where wild cheetahs are being re-introduced. The project will go on for 5 years. PM Modi would grace the occasion of re-introduction and we are very thankful to Prime Minister for accepting our invitation," Yadav said.
Appreciating Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he said that the state government has co-operated with the Centre for completing this project.
"When scientists came here from South Africa and from Namibia, they got full cooperation and support from the Government of Madhya Pradesh to conduct scientific investigations" Union minister added.
Speaking on the same, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that September 17 is going to be a historic day for the state.
"Cheetah which had gone extinct not just from India but from the Asian continent is being re-introduced in presence of PM Modi. Cheetahs are being transported from Africa," CM Chouhan said.
Under the ambitious project of the Indian government - Project Cheetah - the reintroduction of wild species particularly cheetah is being undertaken as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.
Project Cheetah is an ambitious project undertaken by the government which aims to re-establish the species in its historical range in the country.
India has a long history of wildlife conservation. One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures 'Project Tiger' which was initiated way back in 1972, has not only contributed to the conservation of tigers but also to the entire ecosystem.
In continuation, the reintroduction of the cheetah which we have lost recently is one step ahead and a milestone in the history of wildlife conservation in India.