S Africa ready to give cheetahs to India

On the sidelines of the just-concluded climate change meet in Cape Town,India and South Africa the two countries on Monday released a joint statement,pledging support to tackle climate change as part of the BASIC (Brazil,South Africa,India and China) group also discussed cheetahs,which the Ministry of Environment and Forests is trying to re-introduce here.

After a meeting between Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and his South African counterpart Buyelwa Sonjica,the latter has consented to part with cheetahs,extinct in Indian forests,for the re-introduction programme.

South Africa is willing to give cheetahs to India, Ramesh said. Now,we have the option of getting the animals from South Africa,Kenya and Namibia, he added.