SNA (London) — Cheetahs are returning to India for the first time in seventy years, arriving from South Africa and Namibia. Never before have these striking big cats been allowed to repopulate a region from which they had once disappeared.

It was seven decades ago, in 1952, when the last known cheetah in the subcontinent died. The once-thriving felines had been wiped out by hunting, poaching, and habitat loss.

Dean of the Wildlife Institute of India Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala exulted, “it’s exciting; it’s challenging; It’s a big feather in India’s cap.”

The original plan was to transfer twenty healthy African cheetahs to India, twelve from South Africa and eight from Namibia. However, it was recently revealed that India has refused to accept three of the cheetahs from Namibia, which it claimed were were captive-bred and could not hunt.

The transport of the other seventeen is being carried out by airplane and helicopter, after the cats have been tranquilized, microchipped, given antibiotics, sampled for DNA, and provided drips to maintain hydration.

Naturally, cheetahs of both sexes are part of the transfer.

Their health screening includes vaccinations for rabies, herpes, and blood parasites.

The big cats are expected to complete their airplane journey from Johannesburg to Delhi by the end of this month, before being moved by helicopter to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh State in the central part of the country. They will be quarantined for a period of at least four weeks within a fenced camp in the park.

Kuno National Park was chosen due to its suitable grasslands and abundance of prey. An expert committee of the Supreme Court, which oversaw the decision on the transfer destination, described it as “carefully chosen.” The cheetahs will have nearly 750 square kilometers to roam.

If the experiment goes well, the area for the cheetahs is earmarked to be expanded about fourfold. Experts anticipate that the population could expand significantly over time.

Cheetahs are the world’s fastest land animal, reaching speeds of over 112 kilometers per hour at a full run, but they are not immune from food competition with other animals. In India, they may be challenged by sloth bears, wolves, and striped hyenas. However, South African expert Vincent Van Der Merwe believes that the cheetahs “are experienced enough to handle any dangerous interactions.”

Nevertheless, transporting cheetahs on this scale does come with some risks. The global population of the big cat is estimated at about 7,000. India’s environment ministry noted that is important the cheetahs “re-establish a viable population and perform its functional role as a top predator.” The animals are classified as a vulnerable species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature “red list” of threatened species.

Should it prove successful, the cheetah’s return to India is predicted to boost local livelihoods through eco-tourism.

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