New Delhi

An initial batch of 12 cheetahs will be flown in from South Africa in February.

As per the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), South Africa and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the reintroduction of cheetah to the Asian country.

In terms of the agreement, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs will join eight big cats introduced to India from Namibia during 2022.

Officials said that restoring the cheetah population is considered to be a priority for India and will have vital and far-reaching conservation consequences, which would aim to achieve a number of ecological objectives, including re- establishing the function role of cheetah within their historical range in India and improving the enhancing the livelihood options and economies of the local communities.

Following the import of the 12 cheetahs in February, the plan is to translocate a further 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years.

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The initiative to reintroduce cheetah to a former range state following the local extinction of this iconic species due to over hunting and loss of habitat in the last century is being carried out following the request received from the Centre.