The environment ministry on Wednesday launched an action plan to revive the Cheetah population in India after nearly 70 years, PTI reported.

The cheetah – which is the fastest land animal – was declared extinct in India in 1952 because of hunting and loss of habitat.

Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav announced the project at a meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. An unidentified official said that the plan, which was to be implemented by November 2021, was stalled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With help from the Wildlife Institute of India and the Wildlife Trust of India, the environment ministry will be translocating around 8-12 cheetahs from South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, The Indian Express reported. The Cheetahs will be kept at the Kuno Palpur National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

“The animals’ lineage and condition shall be checked in the host country to ensure that they are not from an excessively inbred stock and are in the ideal age group, so as to conform to the needs of a founding population,” the action plan document read, according to PTI.

The action plan document also mentioned the exit plan for the project, IANS reported.

“If the introduced cheetahs do not survive or fail to reproduce in five years, the programme needs to be reviewed for alternative strategies or discontinuation,” the document read.