Bhopal: The wait gets longer for Cheetahs to arrive at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh after the Prime Minister's office has objected to the team of Forest Department officials going to South Africa to bring cheetahs.
Central Government officials and ministers were to leave on 29 September to discuss the detailed action plan to bring cheetah from South Africa to India after 70 years, but now the plan has been put on hold.
Initially, Madhya Pradesh Principal Secretary Ashok Varnwal, Chief Wildlife Custodian Alok Kumar and NTCA officials were included in the team. Later the names of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and half a dozen staff and officers were also added to the list.
After that Prime Minister's Office objected to the number of members in the team, there is a doubt over the team and the date to visit will be finalized after a detailed discussion with the South African officials.
A 6-member team from Madhya Pradesh will also visit South Africa after the first-team returns. This second team will stay in the country for one month to study the behaviour and every minute detail of the Cheetah. The team will return to MP along with the mammals. It was claimed that cheetahs would reach Madhya Pradesh by November 14 but now it might take some more time.
Along with cheetahs, a team of experts from Africa will also visit Madhya Pradesh in November for three months. The experts will monitor the changes in the mammal's behaviour. It is an ambitious plan of the Central Government that was handed over to Madhya Pradesh in 2010 to restore the Cheetah in Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary.
With the financial aid of Rs 14 crore by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, a total of 10 African cheetahs, including five females, are being brought from South Africa to KNP.
