The return of the big cat

Source: This post is based on the article “THE RETURN OF THE BIG CAT” published in Live Mint on 23rd Oct 2021.

Syllabus: GS3 – Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

Relevance: Wildlife conservation

Synopsis: As India firms up plans to bring in the African cheetah, experts consider the risks of introducing a new subspecies

Introduction

The cheetah, the fastest land animal in the world is set to return to India after 70 years. However, conservationists are questioning the idea of introducing a subspecies that is alien to India amidst so many other pressing challenges.

The animals that are to be brought to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh will not be from the Asiatic subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) that once roamed India’s grasslands, semi-arid and desert regions.

They will instead be from the African subspecies that looks different and is used to a different habitat and prey base. The Asiatic cheetah is smaller, thinner and slightly paler in colour than its African counterpart.

Globally, cheetahs are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with around 6,674 individuals left, most of them in Africa.

How cheetahs became extinct in India?

Known as “hunting leopards” during the colonial era, Asiatic cheetahs were wiped out in India by hunting, a gradual decline in prey base and habitat degradation.

The last cheetah was shot in 1947 and the animal was officially declared extinct in India in 1952. Today, just 40-50 individuals survive in central Iran, where it’s a protected animal. The IUCN lists Asiatic Cheetahs as a critically endangered species.

What is the history of cheetah reintroduction in India?

Plans to reintroduce cheetahs to the Indian landscape were first aired in the 1970s and have been brought up off and on since. These included plans to exchange Asiatic cheetahs for Asiatic lions with Iran, and, in 2009, even cloning the animals.

In January last year, the Supreme Court allowed the Union government to bring the African cheetah to India. This September, the Union environment ministry said cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia would reach Kuno in four-six months.

Why India is keen on cheetah reintroduction project?

According to experts, cheetah reintroduction will help to reinstate an important component of the country’s savanna and woodland biodiversity.

India wants to restore grasslands and savannas, using the cheetah as a flagship species.

Why Kuno National Park has been chosen?

According to a technical note released in August by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Kuno was considered for cheetah reintroduction in 2010.

Diverse habitats: The national park has diverse habitats conducive for both lions and cheetahs and is also part of the Sheopur-Shivpuri forests, which cover around 6,800 sq. km.

Large prey base: Kuno has a large inviolate habitat and a good prey base, making it an optimal location. The WII note also lists a variety of animals as part of the prey base such as chital, nilgai, sambar, chinkara and wild pigs, among others.

Adequate monitoring system: A management system for the animals is already in place and the location has the backing of experts from South Africa, Namibia and the WII.

What are the issues and challenges associated with cheetah Re-introduction project?

Firstly, the animals that are to be brought to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh will not be from the Asiatic subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus). They will instead be from the African subspecies that looks different and is used to a different habitat and prey base. Experts are concerned about the complexities of introducing a different subspecies to new ecological settings, disease risks

Secondly, using another subspecies would be “less desirable” since it would contribute neither to the maintenance of genetic diversity nor to the conservation of the Asiatic subspecies.

Thirdly, India’s keenness to restore grasslands and savannas, using the cheetah as a flagship species, would be better served by the Asiatic cheetah.

Fourthly, putting these animals in captivity before introducing into the wild tends to change their wild behaviour and instincts. Hence, ensuring them to become independent animals, that too in a novel habitat remains difficult.

Fifthly, the risk from diseases is a worry. While the animals being brought will likely be vaccinated against rabies and canine-transmitted diseases, cheetahs, like other carnivores, will be at risk of exposure to the canine distemper virus, feline infectious peritonitis (caused by a feline coronavirus) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), particularly in captive conditions. Stress of new and unfamiliar conditions could lead to “greater susceptibility” to such infections.

Sixthly, a demographically viable population of, say, 100 cheetahs will require over 5,000 sq. km of habitat free of humans, feral dogs, leopards, wolves and tigers. Releasing the cheetahs before creating such a space would be disastrous.

Finally, the cheetah is a fragile species, notoriously difficult to breed.

What needs to be done to make cheetah reintroduction program successful?

Adequate space: The cheetah requires a substantial amount of space. The space requirement for carnivores depends on the resources that are available to them. In best protected habitats, cheetahs reach average densities of two-four animals per 100 sq. km. A demographically viable population of, say, 100 cheetahs will require over 5,000 sq. km of habitat free of humans, feral dogs, leopards, wolves and tigers.

Suitable prey base: Experts points out that the cheetah cannot take large prey. An adult sambar, for instance, would be too big for cheetahs to handle. It would potentially prey on chital, chinkaras or young nilgais and sambar.

India needs thorough disease screening processes and protocols for managing threats from infections as part of the cheetah re-introduction plans. This is especially so, IUCN guidelines state, when the distance between source and destination sites (South Africa and India, in this case) is substantial.