Eight Namibian cheetahs arrived in India Saturday, decades after their local extinction, in an ambitious project to reintroduce the spotted big cats that has divided experts on its prospects. Officials say the project is the world's first intercontinental relocation of cheetahs, the planet's fastest land animal. However, critics warn that the creatures may struggle to adapt to the Indian habitat. A significant number of leopards are present in the park, and conservation scientist Ravi Chellam said that cubs could fall prey to feral dogs and other carnivores. Under the government's current action plan, "the prospects for a viable, wild and free-ranging population of cheetahs getting established in India is bleak," he added. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES