Bhopal, Apr 20 (PTI) Two South African cheetahs, Prabhash and Pavak, who were translocated to Kuno National Park more than two years ago, found a new home on Sunday when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released them into the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

These six-year-old male cheetahs, originally brought from South Africa’s Waterberg Biosphere Reserve to Kuno National Park in February 2023, arrived at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, which spans Neemuch and Mandsaur districts, after a road journey.

CM Yadav released them in the sanctuary at Basigaon Khemla on Sunday evening.

Earlier, Yadav highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spearheaded a successful effort to reintroduce cheetahs to Asia in September 2022.

“It is our good fortune that the most favourable conditions for the restoration of cheetahs in all of Asia exist in our country, particularly in Madhya Pradesh,” he remarked.

Earlier in the day, the two cheetahs were transported by road to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, located over 250 kilometres from Kuno, where the ambitious intercontinental translocation of the big cats was launched nearly three years ago.

Eight Namibian cheetahs—five females and three males—were released into Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022, marking the first-ever intercontinental translocation of these big cats.

Twelve more cheetahs were translocated from South Africa to Kuno in February 2023. Currently, Kuno National Park houses 24 cheetahs, including 14 India-born cubs, while two have now been relocated to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary. PTI ADU MAS NR GK NSK