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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, said an official statement on Wednesday.
Project Cheetah is an ambitious project undertaken by the government which aims to re-establish the species in its historical range in the country. "Reintroduction of wild species particularly the Cheetah is being undertaken as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines and the processes like disease screening, quarantine of release candidates as well as transportation of live wild animals across continents requires careful planning and execution," the statement read. However, the date for Cheetah introduction has not been decided yet, as per the official statement. "Seized of the sensitivity of the entire process, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is taking all precautions to ensure the success of the project," it added. After the arrival, the Cheetahs will be kept under quarantine and observed before release. Reports in certain sections of the media that African Cheetahs are still stuck in transit are completely unfounded. While the agreement has been signed with the Republic of Namibia, the process of signing of MoU with South Africa is underway, the statement added. In July 20 this year, India and Namibia entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilization for establishing the cheetah into the historical range in India. According to the MoEFCC, the MoU facilitates development of a mutually beneficial relationship to promote wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilization based on the principles of mutual respect, sovereignty, equality and the best interests of both India and Namibia. (ANI)
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