A pair of cheetahs from Namibia have been released into the wild in India as part of a reintroduction project for these felines that disappeared from the country more than 70 years ago, Indian Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announced on Sunday, writes Agerpres.

“The two cheetahs are doing well,” Yadav tweeted after they were released in central India’s Kuno National Park after months of acclimatization.

The two animals, named Obaan and Asha, were the first to be released among the eight cheetahs that arrived from Namibia last September following a decision by India’s Supreme Court, which in 2020 allowed the reintroduction of the species to the country. , under experimental.

Another 12 cheetahs arrived last month from South Africa. Indian authorities hope that after the release, the cheetahs will multiply and the population will reach 100 individuals within 10 years.

This is the first intercontinental migration of cheetahs, the fastest land animal on the planet.

The Asiatic cheetah once lived in India, but the last specimen was killed in 1947 by an Indian prince, and in 1952 the species was officially declared extinct in the country.

Kuno National Park was chosen for the introduction of the African cheetah, another subspecies of the Asiatic cheetah, because of its large grasslands and abundance of prey.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the cheetah is considered “vulnerable” on the list of endangered species. The number of cheetahs living in the wild is estimated at about 7,000 individuals, most of which are found in the African savannah.