Man Vs Wild: How human lust for hunting, petting, sports led to extinction of cheetahs (WATCH)

New Delhi, Sep 17: A lot of wrong by the earlier generations was undone today when India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, got cheetahs back to the country after a gap of over 70 years. The extinction of cheetahs from India wasn't natural but completely driven by human acts against wild. Domesticated and used as a hunting tool, slowly Asian cheetahs became fewer in number till one day, they were reported 'extinct'.

On the day of their arrival today, Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan shared a video showing Asian cheetahs were domesticated by the hunters and used as a hunting tool. He shared an archive video from 1939 by Wilderness Films India Ltd.

"When Cheetah are coming back to India. A look at how the last of the lots were hunted, maimed, and domesticated for hunting parties. Video made in 1939," he tweeted.

In the viral clip, it can be seen that a man is petting a cheetah casually and then the big cats were carried on bullock carts for hunting.

The IFS officer informed that all three cheetahs were adults, about 6 feet 4-5 inches tall, and they were all hunted at night.

"Historical record suggests cheetah were in the least conflict with humans. Rather they were domesticated and used by hunting parties widely. Even some used to call them 'hunting leopards," the IFS officer said.

"Not only cheetah but most of the charismatic animals were hunted in those days by kings and Britishers. Until the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 was passed it was very late. Cheetah were already extinct from India," he added.

The cheetah is the only large carnivore that got completely wiped out from India, mainly due to their use for coursing, sport hunting, overhunting and habitat loss.

In 1952, the Indian government officially declared the cheetah extinct in the country.

The growl of the cheetah once echoed across the country except the high mountains, coastal areas and the northeast.