A task force has been formed to monitor the Cheetahs and see how they adapt to the environment here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday exhorted people to suggest names for the Cheetahs reintroduced in India after a gap of 70 years, saying those who did so may get the first opportunity to see them.

Speaking in the monthly Mann ki Baat broadcast, he said a task force has been formed to monitor the Cheetahs and see how much they have been able to adapt to the environment here. "On this basis, a decision will be taken after a few months and then you will be able to see the cheetahs," he explained.

He added that a competition that will be organized on the MyGov platform to name the Cheetahs that have been relocated at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

"I urge people to share certain things. What should be the name of the campaign that we are running on cheetahs? Can we even think of naming all these cheetahs…. by what name should each of them be called?" he said. He added that it would be "very nice" if this naming is of a "traditional nature".

Appealing to people to participate in this competition, Prime Minister Modi remarked, "Who knows…you may be the first to get an opportunity to see a cheetah as a reward!"

Wild Cheetahs brought from Namibia were released by Prime Minister Modi at two points in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh on September 17.

This marked the reintroduction of the Cheetah in India, 70 years after it was declared extinct from the country.

The eight Cheetahs - five female and three male - were brought from Namibia for being introduced in India under Project Cheetah, which was described as the world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

According to the government, the re-introduction of cheetahs will help conserve biodiversity and enhance ecosystem services like water security, carbon sequestration and soil moisture conservation, benefiting society at large.