India, Botswana announce Cheetah translocation pact; President Murmu says 'will take good care of them'

Gaborone (Botswana): India and Botswana on Wednesday formally announced to translocate eight Cheetahs from the African nation during the state visit of President Droupadi Murmu.

Thanking her counterpart President Duma Gideon Boko and the people of one of the world's largest diamond producer countries for the gesture, President Murmu assured that India will take good care of them (Cheetahs).

Botswana will symbolically hand over the big cats to Murmu on Thursday.

The two heads of state will preside over an event where five of the eight captured Cheetahs will be released into a quarantine facility at the Mokolodi nature reserve, marking the symbolic handing over of the hunting cats to India by Botswana as part of Project Cheetah and under a mutual initiative for wildlife conservation.

The Cheetahs have been brought to the nature reserve, 10 kms south of Gaborone, from the Ghanzi town located in the Kalahari desert. The rest of the Cheetahs will join the quarantine center soon, Boko said.

Botswana is a landlocked nation whose 70 per cent landmass is covered by the Kalahari desert.

The eight Cheetahs are expected to reach India in a few months time after undertaking quarantine procedures.

“It gives me special pleasure to note that Botswana is to reintroduce Cheetahs into India under Project Cheetah, which is a unique wildlife conservation initiative of the government of India,” Murmu said.

“I am thankful to the President and people of Botswana for sending their Cheetahs to India. We will take good care of them,” she said during a press briefing held at the President's office here.

Murmu arrived for a three-day state visit to the country on Tuesday. This is the first visit by an Indian President to the country located in southern Africa.

President Boko added that, as part of a biodiversity cooperation, the move to donate the Cheetahs will work to assist regeneration of the population of the big cat in India.

The Botswana president said he was informed that among the Cheetahs was one who was named Duma, like his name, quipping that this was a name for speed, agility and ability to pounce when required.

“We hope that where they are named Duma, you will give the name, where they are not, you will give your name...,” he said, leaving the audience in smiles.

The two leaders were addressing the media after the delegation level talks between the two sides.

On September 17, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight cheetahs brought from Namibia into a special enclosure at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, marking the world's first intercontinental relocation of a large wild carnivore species.

India later imported 12 more cheetahs from South Africa in February 2023.

Three years into the ambitious revival programme, the country now has 27 cheetahs, including 16 born on Indian soil. Of them, 24 are at Kuno and three are at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (GSWS), located on the boundary of Mandsaur and Neemuch districts in Madhya Pradesh.

Nineteen cheetahs - nine imported adults and 10 cubs born in India - have died from various causes since the project began, while 26 cubs have been born in Kuno so far. After importing 20 animals from Africa, India currently has a net gain of seven cheetahs over the initial number.

The two presidents also oversaw the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the health sector between the senior officials of the two sides.

Boko said the MoU on cooperation in the health sector was important as India is one of the foremost manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, especially of generic drugs.

This cooperation will be in the pharmacopeia domain too so that quality medicines are facilitated in his country, an area of acute problem for Botswana, he said. The pact will help citizens of Botswana get access to affordable and quality medicines, Boko added.

Murmu declared that a decision has also been taken by India to send to Botswana a consignment of ARV (antiretroviral therapy) medicines on Gaborone's request.

The visit also assumes significance in view of the approaching 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between our two countries in 2026, she said, adding, her travel to Botswana was an important milestone in bilateral relations.

“Our development partnership is based on the ideals of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayaas' (together with everyone's growth, trust and efforts),” the President said, adding the visit will strengthen the multi-faceted ties between the two nations.

Boko called Murmu's visit as a historic, significant and remarkable event as it came 60 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“Your visit comes at the most opportune time. We will work with India to strengthen initiatives related to transformation of Botswana's economy and revival of our country,” he added.

Murmu also underlined that she had a “productive” meeting with President Boko and they discussed a “full range” of bilateral, regional and global issues.

The President added that the two countries have agreed to expand their cooperation in key sectors such as trade and investment, agriculture, health, education, defence and digital technology among others.

“India is committed to working closely with Botswana to further deepen its ties, and to expanding its partnership with Africa, including within the framework of the India-Africa Forum Summit,” she said.

The President noted that there was a growing participation of Indian companies in Botswana’s economic development, particularly in the diamond sector.

She later also took a tour of the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) of Botswana.