South Africa has inked an agreement with India to transfer dozens of African cheetahs to the Asian nation over the next decade, the country’s environmental department announced on Thursday, a year after Namibia sent the first cheetahs to South Africa.
Seventy years ago, Asiatic cheetahs were extinct in India.
In September, eight radio-collared African cheetahs were released at Kuno National Park in central India after a 5,000-mile (8,000-kilometer) journey from Namibia. This was the first time that radio-collared wild cheetahs were relocated across continents.
In February 2023, 12 cheetahs are slated to be flown from South Africa to India, according to a statement from South Africa’s environmental authority.
The huge cats will be introduced to those from Namibia.
The objective is to relocate an additional 12 per year for the following eight to ten years, according to the agency.
