December 4th is globally marked as International Cheetah Day, a day that reminds us to raise awareness about the plight of the world’s fastest cat and support conservation efforts. The day was first established by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in honour of a cheetah named Khayam. The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is one of the most endangered big cats in the world, with a severely fragmented population of around 7,100 individuals in the wild. It has disappeared across roughly 91% of its historic range, surviving largely within fenced-in national parks across Africa and a small population of critically endangered Asiatic cheetahs in Iran.
The species was declared extinct in 1952 when the Asiatic subspecies vanished. However, India launched ‘Project Cheetah’ for the reintroduction of this big cat wherein the central government translocated African Cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. Not just an act of solidarity, but this project highlights the milestones, such as the birth of India-born cubs, managing mortality, and challenges that arose due to the Indian landscape.
This morning, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been actively involved in translocating the cheetahs, posted on X and wrote, “On International Cheetah Day, my best wishes to all wildlife lovers and conservationists dedicated to protecting the cheetah, one of our planet’s most remarkable creatures. Three years ago, our Government launched Project Cheetah, intending to safeguard this magnificent animal and restore the ecosystem in which it can truly flourish. It was also an effort to revive lost ecological heritage and strengthen our biodiversity”.
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