Twelve South African Cheetahs Were Delivered to India to Revive Cheetah Population

 CNN reported that twelve "wild-born" cheetahs arrived in India from Namibia on Saturday, 18 February 2023, to be released into the Kuno National Park, in central Madhya Pradesh state. There are already eight cheetahs that were delivered to India from Namibia in 2022, and with these twelve will make twenty cheetahs in India that came from Namibia, Africa.

Cheetah; credit: Christin Noelle

CNN reported "the cheetahs are part of an initiative by India and South Africa to reintroduce the cheetah in India, according to a joint statement from India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South Africa."

This initiative will "expand the cheetah meta-population and reintroduce cheetahs to a former range state following their local extinction due to overhunting and loss of habitat in the last century."

South Africa plans to "relocate 12 cheetahs each year for the next 8 to 10 years."

Cheetahs arriving in crates from Johannesburg, South Africa

Cheetahs can be seen (in the photos above) arriving from Johannesburg, South Africa. They arrived in India on Saturday, 18 February 2023, and will be airlifted by helicopters by the India Air Force to the final destination, which is Kuno National Park in central Madhya Pradesh state.

Why are Cheetahs from Namibia, Africa Being Relocated to India?

Cheetahs are being reintroduced to India in an initiative between India and South Africa after they were completely gone from India for decades. They became extinct in India due to overhunting and loss of habitat.

Cheetahs can be found naturally in the African states of Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, and Tanzania. There are less than 7,000 cheetahs remaining in the wild, according to the World Wide Fund (WWF), formerly known as the "World Wildlife Fund."

According to CNN, cheetahs "used to live much more widely, roaming throughout the Middle East and central India, and most of sub-Saharan Africa." 

Their numbers have dwindled down to less than 7,000 in the wild due to conflict with humans, habitat loss, and poaching.

Thoughts

It's great that twelve cheetahs and more will be reintroduced to a place where they once roamed. It says they were wild-born, but some may wonder how they were extracted from their natural habitat in Namibia.

Do you think this cheetah initiative between India and South Africa will revitalize the dwindling Cheetah population? (Leave your thoughts in the comments)

Scam Email From Mariam Ture, Part 1

Mariam Ture

Recently, I received the following scam email from one identifying themself as Mariam Ture. This is the introductory message:

From Ms. Mariam Ture,

Please Reply me through my private email address for my security reason

( mariamture (at) gmail.com )
It is my pleasure to write you i decided to contact you to help me out of my problem, however is not mandatory nor will i in any manner compel you to honour against your will,but first Iet me introduce myself to you.
My name is Ms. Mariam Ture, Am 21 years of age, I am a student of high school before I lost my parents in a car accident last year, so I have been out from school and been looking for a sincere person that I will trust.

I am the only child of my late parents and that has made me to run away from our family house because my uncles are after my life to take away my inheritance which my late father left for me in a Bank here in Cote D'ivoire. My entire dream is to find somebody that I can trust with my future life and inheritance and also who will be able to invest it wisely in any lucrative business.

Nobody knows about the inheritance which worth $7.5 million dollars in Cash deposited in a Bank here with my name as the next of kin. And I want you to also keep it very confidential till we can be able to transfer this money from the Bank here to your country and I will fly to join you immediately for future plans of continue my education once a join you in your country.

I have to trust somebody to save my future and that is why I am trusting you now I want you to understand my critical situation and give me the assistance that I need so that I will have a better life and also enjoy my inheritance with you. I will tell you more about myself as soon as I hear back from you, your interest to assist me and also build more trust to be able to have a better understanding. Please Reply me through my private email address for my security reason ( mariamture (at) gmail.com )

I look forward for your urgent response, thank you and God bless you.

Best regard

Ms. Mariam Ture

Whatever you do, do not fall victim to this scam, which is originating from the Ivory Coast in South Africa.

If you respond to this initial email, she will send a follow up email. Her follow up email can be read here.

Don't give Mariam Ture your bank account information.

Image credit: Flickr Creative Commons; by US Army Africa