INDIA is undoing an ecological wrong by bringing back the cheetah which became extinct in the country due to overhunting, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said. Addressing an event to mark the 28th Ozone Day, the minister also emphasised mindful utilisation of energy for cooling purposes.

“India is one of those countries which believe in undoing ecological wrongs. A mistake should be rectified. Cheetahs became extinct in India due to overhunting. We have decided to bring the large carnivore back. This ecological wrong is being undone,” Yadav said.

The cheetah is the only large carnivore which was completely wiped out from India due to its use for coursing,

sport hunting, overhunting and habitat loss. The Government declared the animal extinct in 1952. Yadav said India, as a party to the Vienna Convention, has played a proactive role in the phasing out of production and consumption of ozone depleting substances.