Tag: Wildlife In India

cheetah death Supreme court

Extension Of Scientist Behind ‘Project Cheetah’ Withdrawn

By LokMarg

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Tuesday withdrew the extension granted to noted biologist and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) dean YV Jhala on his superannuation on February 28, 2022, till February 28, 2024.

In an order issused on February 28, 2022, the Union ministry said, “Dr. Y.V. Jhala, Scientist-G, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun was granted an extension of two years from the date of his superannuation, i.e.,28.02.2022. In this context, the undersigned is directed to mention that the said extension period is curtailed and restricted to one year i.e., up to 28.02.2023.”
“The vacancy arising, as a result, shall be filled up with the ongoing process of recruitment of Scientists. This issues with the approval of the competent authority,” the order stated further.

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Jhala had said, “The (Cheetah) project itself was mine, but the government is the parent. The government can do whatever it wants. What can we do about it? Last evening, I was told that my tenure is over. No reason was given to me by the government.”

However, contesting Jhala’s claim, an official in the Union ministry told ANI, on the condition of anonymity, “‘Project Cheetah’ is a project of the Union government in association with the Madhya Pradesh government and the WII. It’s not an individual-driven project.”

Jhala was one of the scientists involved in preparing the technical ground for the ambitious ‘Cheetah project’, under successive Union governments since 2009. He was a member of the Ceetah Task Force’ set up in 2010 under conservationist M K Ranjitsinh.

To a question from ANI on the withdrawal of the extension granted to Jhala, the official said, “Dr. Y V Jhala had already retired from the Wildlife institute of India, Dehradun, and was serving on extension. So, it would be wrong to say that his tenure has been curtailed.”

On allegations of Jhala being sidelined from the ‘Cheetah Project’, the official said the claim is unfounded as he had participated in every meeting of the task force. (ANI)

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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