Watch Video: Plane lands in Namibia to bring cheetahs to 'Land of the Tiger'

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): “A special bird touches down in the Land of the Brave to carry goodwill ambassadors to the Land of the Tiger.”

This came as a post from the high commission of India in Namibia- @IndiainNamibia - on Wednesday night on its official Twitter handle with a picture of the jumbo plane.

Interestingly, nose of the plane has been painted in such a way that it resemblances a cheetah.

These Cheetahs will have to spend their entire air transit period empty stomach, a senior Indian forest department official said on Tuesday.

Such a precaution is needed as a long journey may create nausea-like feelings in animals leading to other complications.

The large carnivore got completely wiped out from India due to their use for coursing, sport hunting, overhunting and habitat loss. The government declared the cheetah extinct in the country in 1952.

The last spotted feline died in 1948 in the Sal forests of Chhattisgarh's Koriya district.

Starting in the 1970s, the efforts of the Indian government to re-establish the species in its historical ranges in the country led to the signing of a pact with Namibia, which donated the first eight individuals to launch the Cheetah reintroduction programme on July 20 this year.

Responding to the same, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulated the country, Taking to twitter, the CM said, “Congratulations India! With the arrival of cheetahs, the trinity of tigers, leopards and cheetahs will be complete in Madhya Pradesh. Under the constant guidance of our visionary PM @NarendraModi ji the maiden international translocation will be completed. Eagerly waiting.”