(8 Sep 2022)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4396092
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Limpopo - 4 September 2022
1. Wide of twos cheetahs, destined for India, quarantined in their enclosures at the Rooiberg Wildlife Veterinary Park
TITLE: South African cheetahs go to India and Mozambique
2. Various of cheetahs
ANNOTATION: South Africa is flying cheetahs to India and Mozambique as part of ambitious efforts to reintroduce the distinctively spotted cats
ANNOTATION: in regions where their population has dwindled.
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent van der Merwe, Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative Manager:
"Since 1979 India has looked toward Africa as a source of cheetah for reintroduction and they started negotiations with Namibia in 2010 and then around about that time South Africa's wild cheetah population started to grow in number, to expand in number. Since 2020 we've been in negotiations with the Indian government to get South African cheetahs to India."
4. Various of cheetahs destined for India in their enclosures
5. Veterinarian at Rooiberg Wildlife Veterinary Park Andy Frasier shooting tranquilizer darts at cheetahs
ANNOTATION: Namibia will contribute eight cheetahs which will be flown to India in September, and South Africa will send an additional 12 cats in October.
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent van der Merwe, Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative Manager:
"Namibia is making 8 animals available for reintroduction in India and South Africa is making 12 animals available, but for a genetically viable population in India in the long term, you need at least 500 individuals (cheetahs). So we are going to send, every year we'll send 8-12 animals to top them up, to increase their numbers, to bring in new genetics until they have a viable population."
7. Various of team loading darted cheetahs into crates for transportation to Mozambique
ANNOTATION: Conservationists are preparing to fly 12 more cheetahs, reputed to be the world's fastest land mammals, to India in October.
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robyn Keyes, Veterinary Assistant:
"It's a lot better to have a smaller cage than a bigger one, or like a crate, and that's purely because it doesn't give them (cheetahs) space to try and run against the sides to get out. But the stress level is the biggest thing, so after they've been woken up they (we) usually use a long-lasting anaesthetic which comes out of the system quite slowly as opposed to other opioids which you can reverse and then they'll be completely awake and very stressed."
9. Various of Frasier and team completing preparations for cheetahs to be transported to Mozambique
ANNOTATION: The team is preparing for the larger and more challenging relocation of cheetahs to India which will require the cats to travel a much longer distance.
ANNOTATION: There are two subspecies of cheetahs. Those that once roamed in Asia were declared extinct in India in 1952 and are now found only in Iran.
ANNOTATION: Indian officials say the plan is for the cats to be kept in large enclosures in central Indian forests, protected from other predators like leopards or bears.
STORYLINE:
South Africa is flying cheetahs to India and Mozambique as part of ambitious efforts to reintroduce the distinctively spotted cats in regions where their population has dwindled.
Four cheetahs captured at reserves in South Africa have been flown to Mozambique this week after being held in quarantine for about a month and cleared for travel.
Conservationists are preparing to fly 12 more cheetahs, reputed to be the world's fastest land mammals, to India in October.
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