WINDHOEK, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Namibia has agreed to translocate 35-40 cheetahs to India over a period of five years.
The agreement was inked after an Indian delegation from the Union Environment Ministry and the Wildlife Institute of India visited Namibia on Feb 22.
“During our talks with Namibian officials, we asked for 35-40 cheetahs over a period of five years. They have agreed to that,” Yadvendradev Jhala, dean of WII, told the Times of India on Feb 26.
A memorandum of understanding between the environment ministries of the two countries is expected to be signed to formalise the transfer.
India formally declared cheetah extinct in 1952 and aims at reintroducing the predator in its wilderness.
Cheetahs are famous for their speed and agility but are also one of Africa’s most endangered big cats, the Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) says.
Their numbers have declined by 90 percent over the past 100 years, dropping from 100,000 to less than 10,000 today.
The main reasons for the decline are human-wildlife conflict, disappearing habitat, and loss of prey, the CCF adds.
Earlier, wildlife conservationists in the country criticised the government after it announced the capture of wild elephants for export without disclosing the deals and the exporting of the animals.
Namibia´s government went on to say that the country’s growing elephant herds, numbering around 24,000, were causing human-wildlife conflict.
