India’s Modi releases eight cheetahs into the wild on his birthday

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has celebrated his 72nd birthday by letting some very big cats out of the (metaphorical) bag. Footage filmed on Saturday in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh shows the PM releasing wild cheetahs from Namibia, as part of an ongoing effort to revitalize and diversify India's wildlife.

Cheetahs have been native to India in the past, but were declared extinct in the country by 1952. It’s hoped that these big cat pioneers will be the first step towards the species making a return.