WINDHOEK, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Namibia and India on Wednesday inked a landmark agreement on wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilization, said a source from the High Commission of India in Nambia.
A statement from the Commission said the agreement was signed by the Indian Minister of Labor and Employment, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Namibia's visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Nandi-Ndaitwah is currently visiting India for the 17th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership and for several significant bilateral engagements.
The statement quoted the High Commissioner of India to Namibia Prashant Agrawal as saying that his Commission has facilitated this agreement, which will also enable the transfer of a few cheetahs from Namibia for introducing them into India's wilds.
The agreement is set to promote sharing of good practices in technological applications and livelihood generation for local communities living in wildlife habitats, the Indian High Commission said in the statement.
"Cheetahs are the only large carnivore that has gone extinct in India post its independence, and their introduction back has a special significance as India marks its 75th Independence Anniversary this year," Agrawal said.
According to Agrawal, the unique intercontinental translocation would be the first-of-its-kind project ever and therefore has global attention.
"It will reaffirm our shared commitment to conservation. These cheetahs would be the goodwill Ambassadors of Namibia, and this friendly gesture on part of Namibia is deeply appreciated by the people of India," said Agrawal, adding all necessary preparations and training are underway to welcome the first cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park in the State of Madhya Pradesh in India.
Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda told Xinhua that Namibia is busy facilitating permits for eight cheetahs to be exported to India, perhaps by the end of August, depending on the permit application process and capturing of the animals.
