Tag: Cheetah In Indian Habitat

Wildlife Expert TH Khan from Pilibhit

Cheetahs Will Add To Biodiversity, Boost Wildlife Tourism

By LokMarg

TH Khan, an environmental activist and wildlife expert from Pilibhit (UP), says Govt of India has done a commendable job by reintroducing Cheetah to Indian wildlife

Cheetahs became extinct in the early 1950s and the major reason was big-game hunting. Efforts were made since then for their rehabilitation but it is only now that we have been able to bring them to Indian forests. There are many examples of successful rehabilitation of wildlife animals in their natural habitats but rehabilitation of Cheetahs is a tricky business and their release could be termed merely as one step forward.

Although it’s not going to be a cake walk to resettle Cheetah I am confident that the cutting-edge technology will assist our wildlife officials to make this endeavour a roaring success. Rehabilitation process in this case is a complex one as it involves a carnivorous species from a different continent. Such broad and complicated rehabilitation requires a perfect harmony between the two habitats and the similarity of environments from where it is imported to where it is being shifted.

Kuno National Park was chosen for the release of cheetahs after a detailed study by experts and this is the world’s first inter-continental large carnivore translocation project as eight African Cheetahs — five females and three males, aged between two and six years, have been brought to India from Namibia.  Besides adding to the bio-diversity of Kuno, the Cheetahs will also add boost tourism and generate income for the locals.

Besides providing the Cheetahs with their required natural habitat, their availability and selection were also a challenge. Initially, there was suspense over the genetic difference between the African and the Asian Cheetahs. When it became clear after an intense study that their rehabilitation is possible, the Supreme Court gave its assent to bring the Cheetahs from Namibia.

ALSO READ: ‘Cheetahs Are Welcome, But Real Challenge Begins Now’

Cheetah is listed as a vulnerable species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Two subspecies, the Asiatic Cheetah and the Northwest African Cheetah are listed as critically endangered. It is therefore very important that potential threats to our Cheetahs at release sites are mitigated. A habitat suitability study should be conducted at each site to ensure there is sufficient vegetation to support viable prey populations to sustain the re-introduced Cheetahs for a long period.

This project is the beginning of a new era of active wildlife management in the direction of ecological rehabilitation because it explores new avenues for carnivorous species amid diminishing grasslands.

Other successful wildlife rehabilitation in India includes alligators in the Chambal and Gerua rivers, single-horned rhinoceros in Dudhwa National Park and Pabitora Sanctuary, and the wild buffalo in the Chhattisgarh forest regions.

One thing that this step surely exhibits is: India’s commitment to the preservation and promotion of biodiversity. We have successfully completed 50 years of Project Tiger and 30 years of Project Elephant. With the multi-dimensional success of these two projects, two other projects, for lion and dolphin, are also being carried out at a commendable pace. Reintroducing Cheetahs is a logical link to this chain of projects.

As told to Rajat Rai

Return of cheetahs and challenges

Cheetahs Are Welcome, But Real Challenges Begin Now

By LokMarg

Meetu Gupta, a wildlife conservationist, says re-introducing cheetahs to Indian wildlife is a welcome step but conservation is a long process, not a one-go event

Cheetah’s return to India was a couple of years late due to COVID situation. A process of this type involves many technicalities and clearances. India has re-introduced some wild species to their natural habitats in the Bandhavgarh and Kanha forests of Madhya Pradesh. But bringing African cheetahs from Namibia to India is a first of its kind. And it involves its fair share of challenges.

Historically, cheetahs were captured in India. Nobles captured them and used them for hunting and big game. Breeding was not possible as captives. There are just two instances of when captive breeding became possible. Mughal emperor Jahangir first successfully did captive breeding of cheetahs and later the same was done in England.

During the British era, the hunting of cheetahs reduced its number rapidly. The last Indian species was killed just after Independence, in December 1947. Therefore, no Indian zoo had cheetahs at any point of time in Independent India.

Until recently, captive breeding was not possible in closed habitats. San Diego zoo (US) is one of the place where captive breeding is done. However, relocating a species from its natural habitat for captive breeding will be a Herculean task. It involves many complexities.

We have heard how the enclosure prepared for Namibian cheetahs was invaded by leopards. The question of climate difference, conflict, and competitiveness among predators are some of the crucial factors. So there is also a need to protect the species from other predators like leopards, tigers, hyenas, etc. First, the animal will be living in a small enclosure. Then it would be moved to a larger enclosure and finally released into open natural habitat. This gradual process will ensure that the species get acquainted and adapted to local conditions.

That is why we need to understand that the return of cheetahs in India is just an initiation in the direction of conservation breeding. It does not guarantee that the number of cheetahs will increase. It is a long haul.

Indian wildlife owes a lot to Indira Gandhi, who formulated a policy, constituted a Wildlife Board. Project Tiger was also started during her regime. In the current regime, budgetary cuts in the wildlife fund and fundamental changes in the policy have taken a toll on many species and their conservation. Our elephant corridors are being destroyed due to mining activities in forests etc. We need to take into account all the endangered species, not just Cheetah.

So while the return of the cheetah is welcome, we need to see if we are not neglecting other wildlife species in the name of conserving just one of them. Conservation is not a one-go event. It involves a larger question of wildlife, forest conservation, tribal policy, and policies related to other sectors that are directly or indirectly related to our wildlife and their habitat.

Several wildlife species are in crisis. The policies of successive governments in the last few decades have been fundamentally anti-conservation. We need to re-think and re-calibrate holistically on the question of wild species and their conservation.

As told to Abhishek Srivastava

The narrator is a Member of the State Wildlife Board, Chhattisgarh