Key Points

The cheetahs were relocated from Kuno National Park to Gandhi Sagar as part of a plan to expand their habitat and support biodiversity.

"History has been written today, as two cheetahs have been released in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. I congratulate the countrymen," CM Mohan Yadav said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support for wildlife conservation, the chief minister added, "PM Modi had pledged to make Madhya Pradesh a cheetah state on the occasion of his birthday... Taking that pledge forward, we released cheetahs in Kuno National Park... due to which the state has become a centre of research."

He also said the initiative would help create jobs. "'Project Cheetah' will also provide employment opportunities to many people," Yadav said.

Neemuch Chief Forest Officer Subharanjan Sen explained the process behind the cheetah release.

"When it was decided to bring cheetahs here, Kuno was the most suitable place, so the cheetahs were released there first. Apart from this, some places in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh were also chosen for releasing cheetahs," he said.

"After Kuno in Madhya Pradesh, there was Gandhi Sagar, so they were released there. After this, Nauradehi was also considered a suitable place for cheetahs. We plan to release cheetahs there too in future," Sen added.

Meanwhile, CM Yadav said on Saturday that the state government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking permission to build a safari in the Chambal region, which would also help generate employment.

"Yesterday, in the review of the forest department, we tried to mobilise a lot of management for the next phase of the Cheetah project in the Chambal region, especially in terms of employment. An appeal has also been filed in the Supreme Court, requesting to build a safari here and provide employment to people through tourism," the MP CM told reporters.

- ANI