The complexities of introducing african cheetahs to india

News: The Union Government has launched an action plan to reintroduce African cheetahs to restore open forest and savannah systems.

What was the distribution of cheetahs in India? What were the habitats?

Historically, Asiatic Cheetah had a very wide distribution in India. From Punjab to southern Tamilnadu. From Gujarat and Rajasthan to West Bengal in the East.

Cheetah’s habitat were also diverse: scrub forests, dry grasslands, savannahs and other arid and semi-arid open habitats. Iran hosts the last surviving population of Asiatic cheetahs.

What caused the extinction of cheetahs in India? When did they disappear?

The records of cheetahs being captured goes back to 1550s, recorded by Mughals and other Deccani kingdoms. The British added the woes by declaring a bounty for killing it in 1871.

Major reasons for extinction: The consistent and widespread capture of cheetahs, high infant mortality rate in the wild, its inability to breed in captivity, ‘sport’ hunting and bounty killings.

Last recording: It is recorded that the last cheetahs were shot in India in 1947, but there are credible reports of sightings till about 1967.

What are the conservation objectives of introducing African Cheetahs in India? What are the priorities of India? Is it cost effective?

It is difficult to conclude that the introduction of African Cheetahs is based on scientific evidence. The issue calls for an open and informed debate.

Arguments against: The focus should be on conserving already existing species such as lion and tiger, rather than trying to re-establish species that have little chance of surviving. The 2013 Supreme Court order which quashed plans to introduce cheetahs to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Conservation objectives include – establish a viable cheetah population to perform its role as top predator and to provide space for cheetah expansion within its historical range.

However, open dry habitats have other species performing this role such as leopards, wolves and caracals all of which need urgent attention. A few dozen cheetahs in a couple of sites will not have significant ground impact.

Another objective is to use cheetahs as charismatic flagship species to garner resources for restoring open forests and savannah systems.  However, Asiatic lions and other species can perform this role. The government can remove grasslands from wastelands to prevent further degradation, fragmentation, and destruction of these habitats.

Hence, there are other cost-effective speedier and inclusive ways to conserve grasslands in India.

What is the current status of this project? What are the chances of it succeeding?

According to the Government, Kuno is ready to receive cheetahs and a team visited Namibia to inspect cheetahs. Negotiations are underway to finalize MoU and it is expected to be signed by the end of March. The cheetahs are to be provided by the Cheetah Conservation Fund, an NGO. These are expected to arrive as early as May 2022.

Given all the challenges, especially the lack of extensive areas with sufficient density of prey will hinder African cheetahs from establishing themselves as a truly wild and self-perpetuating population.

Source: The Hindu