BHOPAL: Hopes of arrival of the African cheetah are running high with the National Tiger Conservation Authority allotting Rs 14 crore for the project. This means that cheetahs could reach Kuno National Park, in Sheopur, by year-end.
The team of experts constituted on the instructions of the Supreme Court had recommended an approximate fund of Rs 22 crore for the purpose. The Union government has reduced it by Rs 8 crore to Rs 14 crore. However, experts believe that the deduction will have no impact on the translocation process.
The fund of Rs 14 crore is for the first year of the ëProject Cheetahí, which includes expenses related to sourcing of animals, international transportation, field monitoring and logistics, holding fence and capacity building and so forth.
Confirming the news, APCCF (wildlife) JS Chouhan said that the allotment of funds was expected by the end of June, but that there were other formalities also to be done by all the agencies involved in the process. Madhya Pradesh will complete its part of the formalities by the end of September.
Three agencies are involved in the process of translocation. Besides the state government and Wildlife Institute of India, the most of the important part of the project is to be handled by the Government of India.
The agencies involved in the translocation of the African cheetahs to Madhya Pradeshís Kuno are in constant touch with their counterparts in Africa. The transportation of as many as eight cheetahs has been finalised, but they are trying to find more as it could reduce the cumbersome process for the future.
All the agencies have set a deadline of December 2021, which means that around eight cheetahs will land in Kuno National Park by year-end.
How the Rs 14 cr will be utilised
The fund of Rs 14 crore is for the first year of the ëProject Cheetahí, which includes expenses related to sourcing of animals, international transportation, field monitoring and logistics, holding fence and capacity building and so forth
