Cheetahs homecoming: This 'special bird' will bring back the big cat to the land of the tiger

New Delhi, Sep 15: September 17, 2022, is a momentous day in the history of India's wildlife. While there are often stories of animals becoming endangered or extinct, on this day India would reverse the narrative and bring in the cheetahs that became extinct from the nation almost seventy years ago. To mark this special occasion, everything is planned as grand and magnificent as the event itself is. So the eight cheetahs who would touch down on Indian soil from Namibia are being carried in a special flight which has an intricately painted tiger on its front.

"A special bird touches down in the Land of the Brave to carry goodwill ambassadors to the Land of the Tiger," wrote Indian High Commission while sharing the image.

The cheetahs will head for India in a customised Boeing 747-400 aircraft capable of flying up to 16 hours, so it can fly directly from Namibia to Jaipur without a stop to refuel, a step considered for the well-being of the cheetah.

The male cheetahs include two brothers who have been living on the CCF's 58,000-hectare private reserve near Otjiwarongo, Namibia, since at least July 2021.

Another male was born at the Erindi Private Game Reserve, protected wildlife and ecological reserve in central Namibia, in March 2018. His mother was also born there.