Hasn't been an easy road: Bhupender Yadav on 2 years of Project Cheetah

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday said the two years of Project Cheetah have been challenging, with several hurdles, from habitat adjustments to ensuring the cubs' survival in the wild, successfully overcome.

Yadav said the project, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a globally pioneering effort, symbolising hope for successfully restoring lost wildlife populations and ecosystems.

"It hasn't been an easy road. Numerous challenges, from habitat adjustments to ensuring the cubs' survival in the wild, were overcome," he posted on X.

"Today, as the world watches these cheetah cubs thrive in their natural habitat, we celebrate not just their survival but the resilience and dedication of all involved in these humongous efforts," he said.

This is just the beginning of restoring balance to our ecosystems. Many more milestones lie ahead, the minister added.

As part of the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the big cats, 20 cheetahs have been brought to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh so far -- eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023.

Since they arrived in India, eight adult cheetahs -- three females and five males -- have died.

Seventeen cubs have been born in India, with 12 surviving, bringing the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno to 24. Currently, all remain in enclosures.

The grand initiative completes two years on Tuesday.