Cheetahs to be released in Gandhinagar Sanctuary soon, says Madhya Pradesh CM

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Monday announced that cheetahs would be released soon in the Gandhinagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur district.

At a function organised on the occasion of the World Tiger Day at Kushabhau Thackeray Convention Center in Bhopal, Yadav said, “The state government has been working with fast pace to complete the fencing of the sanctuary on the instructions of the central government. With fencing, herbivores are being shifted in the sanctuary for releasing the cheetahs soon.”

“A tri-party agreement has been signed with South Africa,” he added.

On January 26, 2022, the Indian and South African governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cheetah translocation.

According to the MoU, the restoration of cheetah population is 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 functional role of cheetah within their historical range in India and improving the livelihood and economies of the local communities.

Yadav said, “It is matter of pride that MP has the highest number of tigers. We will come up with more tiger sanctuaries. Similarly, if there is a demand for tigers from other states, the government will work for it too.”