New Delhi:  The Supreme Court has given its green signal while ordering proper study on the introduction of African Cheetah in various sites in India.

The Cheetah will be released in an “ideal location” to be decided by a panel after a survey. The process, from identifying the sites to the introduction of the animals, will be monitored by the panel. The panel will submit its report every four months.

Stating that the rare Indian Cheetah is almost extinct in the country, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had filed an application seeking permission for the introduction of the African Cheetah from Namibia.

The Supreme Court rejected the project in May 2012 after some conservationists argued that importing the African cheetah for reintroduction in India was against the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s reintroduction guidelines and no clearance had been sought from India’s National Board for Wildlife.

The Government’s plan, according to reports, is to import the Cheetah from African countries like Namibia and reintroduce them in India. The Supreme Court has been told that the African Cheetah will be introduced on an experimental basis in the best suitable habitat to see whether it can adapt to Indian conditions.