70 years after last sighting, India to get Namibian Cheetahs by 15 August
Premium- Cheetahs are to be released in the wild in India before 15 August under an exchange programme being finalised with Namibia
Cheetah, the fastest land animal in the world is ready to set foot on Indian soil again, exactly 70 years after it was last seen in the Indian subcontinent.
Cheetahs are to be released in the wild in India before 15 August under an exchange programme being finalised with Namibia, according to two government officials aware of the plan.
A cohort of 12-14 cheetahs (8-10 males, 4-6 females) will be kept in the Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, and released in the wild after being fitted with satellite radio collars.
The first batch is expected to arrive in India before 15 August, said officials aware of the development. The animals will be closely observed to see whether they adapt to the new settings and make raise families here.
Queries emailed to the spokesperson for the ministry of environment, forest, and climate change remained unanswered till press time.
“A team of experts recently visited Namibia and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed very soon," ministry secretary Leena Nandan said in an earlier interview to Mint. The MoU between the two environment ministries is expected to be signed by the end of this month.
About Rs38.70 crore from Project Tiger has been allocated for the cheetah project between 2021-22 and 2025-26, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, minister of state for environment, forests and climate change, said last month in the Lok Sabha.
“Cheetah introduction is an ecosystem restoration project. The government of Madhya Pradesh and the government of India have invested substantially over the years to make Kuno suitable for large carnivore introduction. At present, Rs8 crore has been spent in Kuno National Park for the soft release enclosure, habitat restoration activities, protection, and infrastructure," said SP Yadav, ADG, Project Tiger and member secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority.
Kuno was estimated to be able to sustain 21 cheetahs. Once a cheetah population is established in the park, some of the animals are likely to disperse and colonize the landscape that can then potentially hold 36 animals. The cheetah restoration project is touted for better conservation of open forests, grasslands, and scrub ecosystems.
“One of their stated claims is that the cheetah will serve as a flagship species for the conservation of grasslands, which are today officially designated as wastelands. The first step should be to remove grasslands from that designation. We should invest Rs40 crore directly in grassland conservation so that a whole host of native species can benefit. Why do we have to invest it in a roundabout manner on African cheetahs?" said Ravi Chellam, chief executive officer, Metastring Foundation, and member, Biodiversity Collaborative.
“Biologists hired for the project and Madhya Pradesh Forest department staff will monitor the cheetahs," Yadav said.
“Cheetahs do not feature as a coveted trade species. Therefore, we don’t anticipate targeted poaching," said H. Jhala, dean, Wildlife Institute of India.
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!