Prime Minister on his 72nd birthday on Saturday launched the project Cheetah at Kuno National in Madhya Pradesh, in an ambitious effort to reintroduce the feline in India seven decades after it was declared extinct in the country. ‘Today, the Cheetahs have come back to our land after decades. On this historic day, I want to congratulate all Indians and also thank the government of Namibia. This could not have been possible without their help’,” PM Modi said.

The cheetahs flown in from Namibia into a special enclosure at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. He also clicked some pictures of the cheetahs on a professional camera after releasing them. Eight cheetahs were brought to Gwalior from Namibia in a special plane on Saturday morning as part of the cheetah reintroduction programme. The animals were later flown to the KNP, located in Sheopur district, in two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters. The prime minister, who is celebrating his birthday, released two of these cheetahs into an enclosure at the KNP.