Bhopal: Forest minister Vijay Shah visits South Africa with team ahead of cheetahs' translocation

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Forest minister Kunwar Vijay Shah is on study tour of South Africa. Vijay Shah is accompanied by senior forest deoartment officials including chief of forest force Ramesh Kumar Gupta who holds the rank of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest.

The team will learn how the wild animals are reared in wild and what are the different modalities adopted in this regard.

The study tour of minister Vijay Shah is being seen in connection with proposed relocation of cheetahs from Africa to Kuno Palpur Sanctuary in Sheopur district.

Indian government is in contact with South Africa for the project and is expected to sign an agreement with South Africa in this regard.

A senior forest officer told Free Press that forest minister Kunwar Vijay Shah along with RK Gupta and Additional PCCF Shubranjan Singh left for South Africa on August 22. The team will be back on August 28.

The team would also study factors related to environment, habitat, security. After returning, the team will apprise government about its findings and how they should be implemented in Kuno Palpur Sanctuary.

Another forest officer said that study team would study the pre management of wildlife (before introducing into wild).

Notably, cheetahs are to be brought to Kuno Sanctuary from Namibia. Separate enclosures have been made to acclimatise cheetah in new environment. Once they adapt themselves to new environment, they will be set free in the wild.