India welcomes 12 cheetahs from South Africa

The cheetahs are being transported from Namibia (Dirk Heinrich/AP)

India has welcomed 12 cheetahs from South Africa which will join eight others it received from Namibia last year as part of an ambitious drive to reintroduce the big cats in the country after 70 years.

An aircraft carrying the cheetahs landed at Gwalior air force base on Saturday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.