KUNO-PALPUR: Rarely, if ever, an air cargo is marked ‘endangered’. But it will be so when a dozen cheetahs from Namibia travel halfway around the world to their new home in Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district.
The transport logistics will be carefully planned to ensure that the fastest route is taken, with the fewest number of stops a-nd transfers. The aerial distance is close to 9,000km but it’s the proverbial last mile that is causing creased eyebrows.
As per the report, the first intercontinental cheetah translocation will adhere to all international, source and recipient country laws, and minimise risk to animals, employees and general public. Cheetah metapopulation programme of Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) in South Africa regularly translocates cheetahs by road and air between in-country populations and has proven experi ence in crate design and transportation protocols, it says.
The same protocol is being adopted in consultation with EWT experts for transporting cheetahs to India. The crates will adhere to specifications of Live Animals Regulations of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Crates made of bounded plywood or shatter board bound with wood, which have sufficient air holes, will be used.
Air holes on the sides and top of the crate also allow for the cheetahs to be viewed while in transit. There would be adequate cushioning at the base of the crate, usually in the form of a rubber mat. Additionally, handles would be positioned around the crate in case manual unloading is necessary, the report
says. A commercial airline or chartered flight could be used. Initially, Qatar Airways had offered to transport the cheetah from Johannesburg to Delhi.
“This airline regularly tran sports animals for conservation across the world and has good experience to provide safe transport with minimal stress. If sufficient numbers of cheetahs are translocated in one consignment, then it is better to use a chartered flight since vets will have access to the cheetah throughout the flight duration,” experts say.
Transportation from Delhi to Kuno (500km) will be by road or in two stages — by flight to Gwalior and then 200km to Kuno by road.
