The Union Environment Ministry on Wednesday said the date for the re-introduction of cheetahs in the "historical ranges" of the country has not been decided yet and media reports about the big cats being stuck in transit are "completely unfounded".
The re-introduction of wild species, particularly the cheetah, is being undertaken as per the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the processes like disease screening, quarantine of release candidates as well as transportation of live wild animals across continents requires careful planning and execution, the ministry said in a statement.
The IUCN works in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
