20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa are set to arrive in Madhya Pradesh on November 1.
Madhya Pradesh, which is home to 19 per cent of India's tiger population and is often referred to as the "Tiger state", is all set to welcome 20 cheetahs from Africa. Kunwar Vijay Shah, the state's Forest Minister, told NDTV that these cheetahs are expected to arrive from Namibia and South Africa on November 1, the foundation day of the state. While this comes as good news for wildlife lovers, it can also help farmers in certain parts of Madhya Pradesh breathe a sigh of relief as the cheetahs are expected to feed on the blackbucks that damage crops every season.
Mr Shah said: "Certain pending issues -- including removal of three leopards from the 500-hectare enclosure prepared for the cheetahs in Kuno National Park and a memorandum of understanding with the South African government -- need to be sorted out before the cheetahs can be brought to MP."
For farmers in three districts of the Gwalior-Chambal region -- Shivpuri, Guna and Ashoknagar -- the arrival of the cheetahs is expected to provide a solution to the long-standing problem of blackbucks, or Indian antelopes, damaging crops. The state Forest Department is working on a project to move the blackbucks from the three districts in the Gwalior-Chambal region and use them as a suitable prey base for the African cheetahs in Kuno.
CS Ninama, the Chief Conservator of Forests at Madhav National Park, told NDTV: "Though the cheetahs will have a prey base inside the park, the availability of blackbucks as preys will help solve the problem of crop damage. By translocating the blackbucks to Kuno National Park and other ideal habitats, we'll not only be helping the farmers, but also saving them from coming under attack from wild canines -- particularly in the monsoon season." He added: "We'll complete a census of the blackbuck population in the three districts within the next few weeks."