On his 72nd birthday today, PM Modi said that ‘Project Cheetah’ under which the BJP government at the Centre reintroduced big cats in the country with the support of Nambia, is the government’s endeavour towards environment and wildlife conservation.
During an address to the nation following the release of cheetahs into Kuno National Park, PM Modi said, “We lose certain things when we move away from our roots. Hence, we should take pride in our heritage.” The PM also thanked the government of Namibia for cooperation in relocating eight cheetahs to India.
“The biodiversity that had become extinct and the link that got disconnected for decades, today we have a chance to reconnect it. Today the cheetah has returned to the soil of India. And I would also say that along with these cheetahs, the nature-loving consciousness of India has also been awakened with full force,” PM Modi said.
READ | In Pics: PM Modi releases 8 cheetahs from Namibia at Kuno National Park on his birthday
He added, “It is unfortunate that we declared Cheetahs extinct from the country in 1952, but for decades no meaningful effort was made to rehabilitate them. Today, as we celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the country has started rehabilitating Cheetahs with new energy.”
PM Modi appealed to people for patience before visiting Kuno National Park to have a glimpse of cheetahs and referred to them as ‘India’s guests’.
“These Cheetahs have come as guests, unaware of this area. For them to be able to make Kuno National Park their home, We will have to give these Cheetahs a few months. Following international guidelines, India is trying its best to settle these cheetahs. We must not let our efforts fail,” said PM Modi.
READ | Congress says ‘project cheetah’ was prepared in 2008-09 during the UPA government
For the unversed, the cheetahs were declared extinct from India in 1952 but today 8 cheetahs (5 females and 3 males) were brought from Africa’s Namibia as part of ‘Project Cheetah’.
India has a long history of wildlife conservation. One of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures ‘Project Tiger’, which was initiated way back in 1972, has not only contributed to the conservation of tigers but also the entire ecosystem. In continuation of this, the reintroduction of cheetahs is one step ahead and a milestone in the history of wildlife conservation in India.
