Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, September 17,  released eight Cheetahs – brought from Africa’s Namibia – in the Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh. The arrival of the big cats in India – which has been dubbed as “historic,” considering Cheetahs went extinct in 1952 in the country – coincides with PM Modi’s 72nd birthday celebrations countrywide. “On his birthday, there can’t be a bigger gift for Madhya Pradesh,” chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asserted while speaking to news agency ANI earlier. “Cheetah had gone extinct. This is the most remarkable achievement for wildlife in this century. This would boost tourism. We thank PM Modi on behalf of the state.” Five of the eight cheetahs are female, between 2 and 5 years of age, and three are males between 4.5 and 5.5 years of age. After a Boeing 747-400 aircraft landed in Gwalior at around 7:55 am on Saturday morning, the big cats were taken to the national park on Air Force choppers.