Cheetah Reintroduction in India

[Sanju]

New insights on the evolution of cheetahs may help decide the best move on reintroduction

https://researchmatters.in/news/new-insi...zb9juwQUmw Reply

[Ovie11]

  Reintroduce Asiatic cheetah in Raj, MLA urges CM

Kota: Excited over the growing population of big cats with tigress MT-2 giving birth to two cubs in Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR), Sangod Congress MLA Bharat Singh has urged chief minister Ashok Gehlot to take the initiative to bring the Asiatic Cheetah to Rajasthan from Iran to breed the species classified as ‘critically endangered globally’ which was declared extinct from India in 1952.

Wildlife enthusiasts in Hadoti are hopeful that the birth of two cubs would give a fillip to tourism in the region. The cubs were spotted by forest officials on Monday evening. MT-2 was relocated to the 82sq km enclosure at Darrah range in MHTR from Ranthambore National Park (RNP) in December 2018. 

In a letter to CM on World Environment Day on June 5, Singh drew the government’s attention towards Union government’s approval for conservation of cheetah in country and expression of interest by state governments to take initiative in this regard. “Indian government has granted permission for conservation of cheetah. The forest department of the state government should avail the opportunity………..Rajasthan government should initiate to Indian government on Cheetah conservation. In the time to come, it is associated with the development and promotion of tourism in Rajasthan,” Singh wrote.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.timesofindia.com/city/jaipur/reintroduce-asiatic-cheetah-in-raj-mla-urges-cm/amp_articleshow/76239270.cms Reply

[Ovie11]

Rajasthan govt to work on action plan for introduction of cheetahs


The Rajasthan government will prepare an ‘action plan’ to explore the possibility of introduction of cheetah, the fastest animal on the planet, in the state, officials said.

A committee of experts set up by Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WW) has zeroed in three states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat - where cheetah population could be re-introduced. For that, the WII needs to conduct feasibility studies.

On Thursday, a WII proposal to conduct the study in Rajasthan was taken up for consideration in the state wildlife board. A presentation was also made by WII scientists on why Rajasthan has possible sites for reintroduction of cheetah and its potential to have the animal.

“After finalizing the action plan, a decision would soon be taken on the WII proposal,” Rajasthan forest Minister Sukhram Vishnoi.

In February this year, the Supreme Court had allowed the introduction of cheetah under the project which was initiated by then environment minister Jairam Ramesh in 2009.

Congress MLA from Sangod (Kota) Bharat Singh, who was present at the meeting, said the Central government has permitted the re-introduction and conservation of cheetah which could be brought from Africa.

“The states who could take the initiative and have potential and suitable sites are Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. They can get cheetah which could be associated with the development and promotion of tourism,” Singh said.

Singh said at the meeting, the WII representative mentioned two sites - one each in Jaisalmer and Kota - for cheetah introduction, said Singh.

“Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer was among the top sites identified in 2010 by an expert panel constituted by the central government to reintroduce cheetah in India,” said a forest department official.

Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer was among the top three sites identified in 2010 by the expert panel. The other two sites - Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi - were in Madhya Pradesh.

As 10 years have passed since the last assessment was done, experts said Shahgarh Bulge needs to be re-assessed for prey population viability to sustain cheetahs and the ability of the habitat to sustain these animals in the long run.

“Shahgarh now has animal population which needs to be relocated if the site has to be considered for introducing cheetah. The then government had reservation over the site and had written to the Central government saying the region has oil deposits and was very close to Pakistan border,” said the official.


The WII experts also said that apart from Shahgarh Bulge, relocation sites can also be explored at other places in Barmer and Jaisalmer districts. “With Rajasthan being the biggest state geographically and the availability of dry and plain grassland, the state has the maximum potential,” said an expert who was not willing to be quoted.

Divya Bhanu Sinh, member of the expert committee formed by Central government in 2010 and author of ‘The end of a trail: The cheetah in India’ book, said, “The Wildlife Institute of India surveyed possible sites to introduce cheetah where one was Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer; and other two in Madhya Pradesh – Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi”.

Kunal Palpur was selected as the site for the introduction of cheetahs and the environment ministry had given its permission to the Madhya Pradesh government to import nine cheetahs in different batches from Namibia for translocation into Kuno Palpur wildlife sanctuary at Sheopur where the last cheetah was hunted in the 1950s.

But before the process to import cheetahs could start, the project was challenged in the Supreme Court on the ground that the sites selected were not viable for cheetah re-introduction. The apex court stayed the project and formed an expert committee to examine all aspects. In February, it finally approved the project.

MK Ranjitsinh, who headed the expert committee, said that the cheetah’s re-introduction is an interesting project not only for India but for the entire world as such long-distance relocation of big animals in wild has not happened. “As cheetah was native to India till the 1950s, them adopting to hot and humid temperature of the country would not be very difficult. But, we need a proper wildlife management plan of habitats for that,” he said.

Cheetahs roamed about India’s grasslands till the 1950s when they were hunted to extinction in the country. Iran has a sub-species of the Asiatic cheetah but has refused to share them with India, forcing the government to look for the African ones. The Asian and the African species separated between 30,000 and 60,000 years ago.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rajasthan-govt-to-work-on-action-plan-for-introduction-of-cheetahs/story-dhAN5IBkgOiDm1Ltqr5dII.html Reply

[Ovie11]

Cheetah, finally to land in India 

Wildlife lovers have reasons to be gung-ho during the National Wildlife week (1-7 October) with the decision at Government level for entry of Cheetah in to India.  (The feature image features an African Cheetah clicked by Lauri Marker)

          By Harsh Vardhan 
  Cheetah comprise the species which became extinct in the country during fifties. The lone person who raised a loud voice for its re-entry in the country is Dr.  Ranjitsinhji, a prince from Wankaner in Saurashtra, 1961 IAS batch and a renowned wildlife expert who has chaired numerous panels to give a new prestige to wild life  and written extensively on how to step up nation’s economy through sustainable living with such species.

Dr. Ranjitsinhji was nominated as the chairman of a committee by the Supreme Court of India end January 2019 to recommend ideal habitats where Cheetahs were to be introduced in India. A video-meeting among officials and this expert took place on 30 September 2020 to chart out a well-defined procedure. 

Dr. YV Jhala, Dean at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), has been nominated to head the Cheetah-team to inspect habitats where this predator should be rehabilitated. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has already been appointed as the new Cheetah-Office in India vide the Supreme Court Order. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has sanctioned a sum of Rs 2.5-crore to WII to facilitate this wild cat’s entry into India.   

Where shall be cheetah’s new house in India? 
Where shall Cheetah be allocated a piece of land in India? Madhya Pradesh has suggested Nauradehi Sanctuary (between Jabalpur and Sagar) besides Kuno Palpur (north of Shivpuri, close by Gwalior).   

Rajasthan wants this wild cat to reside in a landscape covering Mukund Darra, Rana Pratap Sagar and also Gandhi Sagar which lies in Madhya Pradesh. It aims at an inter-state Cheetah-Reserve. Interestingly Bihar, which was nowhere in sight for this cat, has now laid its claim on Cheetah.   

Jhala is a proven scientific horse in understanding and experimenting with wild species. He has  already given an account of WII’s  capability by heading the ex-situ breeding of Great Indian Bustard in the Thar Desert (2019-20). He has an eye over Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer district, a large area having least anthropogenic pressure but bordering Pakistan. Cheetah needs extensive open and  scrub habitat with proficient grass cover and abundant feed. Nowhere in India large tracts of such habitats are in sight for this cat as it enjoys in its African homes. Feed quotient faces a big question mark besides village population to face the brunt in the suggested areas.    

[b]From where Cheetah will be air-lifted? [/b]

[b]The Asiatic Cheetah survives in Iran only. It is unwilling to part with it to any country. The lone option therefore will be the African Cheetah. South Africa and Namibia are apparently willing to export to India. Ms. Lauri Marker, founder-head of Cheetah Conservation Foundation in Namibia, was in India last February and discussed such aspects with some key players.    [/b]

[b]The forest authorities appear cock-a-hoop. Have they re-examined  the impact this fastest running predator will receive in Indian conditions? More importantly, what will the Indian countryside feel when another predator will be picking up their sheep, goat, poultry, etc? Lauri has created an example for compensation for such losses in Namibia and also designed Cheetah-attack-proof pans for livestock. What plan the Indian foresters have chalked out prior to offering a rose-garland to this alien wild animal? And who shall check their home-work? Forest Secretaries, Principal Forest Secretaries, Ministers of Forest and also Chief Ministers? Such questions have dogged the Indian rural psyche: Tigers vs the village sector. Cheetah to add to worries or solve them?    [/b]


[b]https://www.ebnw.in/nature-environment/cheetah-finally-to-land-in-india/[/b] Reply

[Ovie11]

Survey to find out if African cheetah can be rehabilitated in Raj 


Jaisalmer: Forest and environment minister Sukhram Vishnoi on Thursday said a survey was being carried out in a few areas of Chittorgarh to find out if African cheetahs could be rehabilitated.  

A committee to study the feasibility of bringing the cheetahs is headed by Wildlife Institute of India chairman Ranjeet Singh. In addition to Chittorgarh, Nauradehi sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh is considered suitable to settle cheetahs.

The Centre has allotted Rs 2.50 crore to WII for the cheetah project. Initially, a plan was made to translocate a cheetah to Jaisalmer but the move was dropped due to oil and gas exploration works and BSF and army camps objecting to the move citing non-availability of food for the animals. The minister said that a proposal had been sent to the Centre to make a 

new tiger reserve
 at Kumbhalgarh. Discussing about the deaths tigers at Mukundra sanctuary, the minister said a few died of ailments, some because of territorial fights and old age killed a few. “Guards and officers are fully alert there and there has been no case of poaching so far. As far as Ranthambhore and Sariska are concerned, tigers are safe,” he added.

In regard to posts lying vacant in the forest department, he said the state government had recently taken a decision to hire guards for the security of all sanctuaries. He added that the process to hire ACF, volunteers and other personnel had already started. 

He said as per the directions from the Supreme Court, all pasture lands are considered as forest lands and all district collectors have been asked to provide detailed reports on the number of trees and ownerships of these pasture lands.

https://m.timesofindia.com/city/jaipur/survey-to-find-out-if-african-cheetah-can-be-rehabilitated-in-raj/articleshow/78562803.cms Reply

[KRA123]

I am not Indian, but for what it's worth, I personally do not think that African cheetahs should be introduced in India. What's more, there is something I don't understand. There are many Asiatic lions living in zoos in India, why not breed some of them in a dedicated breeding program and then release the progeny in the wild. Couldn't that bypass the Gujarat government altogether? Given the relatively short generation time of lions, they could have a decent wild population outside Gujarat by now if they had been breeding captive ones for reintroduction. Once the population is large enough, they could trade with Iran - some of the lions for Asiatic cheetahs. Reply

[Rage2277]

ganjam odisha not sure if the place is viable but that's alot of black buck a go to target for cheetah Reply

[Ashutosh]

@Rage2277, not a good idea. I don’t think Ganjam was ever a cheetah habitat. It is an area with swamplands next to Chillika lake and wet grasslands.

Dry grasslands is where they thrived historically. Plus, the reintroduced African Cheetah will most likely be from Bostwana which definitely don’t have wet grasslands which Cheetahs occupy. Reply

[Ovie11]

A plan to rehabilitate cheetah in Mewar forests


Udaipur, Subhash Sharma. Cheetah: Seven decades ago efforts are being made to rehabilitate extinct cheetahs from India. For this, the forest areas which are considered to be suitable, include the forest area of Udaipur (Mewar) division. It is believed that cheetahs will be able to live in the Chittorgarh district of the division and in the forests of Bhainsrodgarh, extending up to Madhya Pradesh. If everything goes according to the plan prepared, then African cheetahs will be seen running in Chittorgarh and the plains forest area of Madhya Pradesh. The Deputy Conservator of Chittorgarh, Suganaram, says that preparations are underway to rehabilitate the cheetah in Chittorgarh. Cheetahs brought from Namibia are settled here, it is a matter of pride not only for the region but for Rajasthan as a whole. 

Cheetah requires open and plain forest, which is present in Bhainsrodgarh. The Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate has released the budget to bring cheetahs. The forest of Chittorgarh is favorable for Cheetah Wildlife expert Dr. Satish Sharma explains that the forest areas of Chittorgarh are better for Cheetah. The cheetah needs a long path to run. He runs at a speed of 80 to 130 kilometers per hour. 

Also plan to settle tiger

Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located in Pali district under Rajsamand district of Udaipur division, is still known for bears and leopards. Work is going on on the plan to settle tigers here. Tiger T-24 was to be shifted from Sajjangarh Biological Park in Udaipur, but the plan came to a halt after he killed female tiger Damini in January. In Kumbhalgarh, all preparations for shifting tiger have already been completed there. 


Significantly, in a joint study of international researchers, Indian scientists have assessed the possibility of reintroducing the extinct leopard from India to its wild habitat in the country. In this study, scientists have tried to know to what extent an African cheetah can adapt itself to Indian conditions. Researchers have also found huge differences in the evolutionary order of Asian and African cheetahs in this genetic study. 

Translated from google 

https://m.jagran.com/rajasthan/jaipur-pl...01632.html Reply

[Sanju]

Madhya Pradesh Ready With 4 Habitats For Translocation Of African Cheetah

A committee appointed by the Supreme Court will visit Madhya Pradesh next week to survey the suitable habitats for the cheetah as the government tries reintroduce the spotted cat almost 70 years after it was hunted to extinction in the country.

The African cheetah will be translocated to India and an exercise ids on to identify the most suitable habitat for it.

The Madhya Pradesh forest department is ready with four suitable habitats to showcase to a three-member committee constituted by the Supreme Court to guide the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in the translocation of the African cheetah from Namibia to India, a forest official said Saturday.

The committee comprising former director Wildlife of India Ranjit Singh, DG of Wildlife of India Dhananjay Mohan and DIG, Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests will visit Madhya Pradesh next week to survey the suitable habitats for the cheetah.

The exercise is part of a programme to reintroduce the fastest land animal in India after the Asiatic cheetah was hunted to extinction in the country in the 1950s.

The Madhya Pradesh forest department, which was initially vying for translocation of the cheetahs in Kuno National Park in Sheopur district and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Damoh district in 2012, has now added two more locations – Madhav National Park in Shivpuri district and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandsaur district in the survey, said JS Chauhan, additional principal chief conservator of forest, (Wildlife).

“In January, the Supreme Court had allowed the Centre to introduce the cheetah in the country following an application filed by the NTCA. The apex court formed the committee which will submit its survey report before the court so that proper monitoring could take place,” said Chauhan.

The forest officer said, “Kuno National Park in Sheopur, which was upgraded for the relocation of Asiatic Lion but the process couldn’t begin, can get good numbers in the survey as the place is most suitable in the country for translocation of the cheetah. Meanwhile, we have prepared all the three other places too by translocating prey base and resolving local issues.”

Sheopur, divisional forest officer (DFO), PK Verma said, “Kuno National Park has one of the best prey bases with a population of spotted deer of 45 per sq km. The area which was about 350 sq km is now increased to 750 sq km and all the villages have been shifted from the forest area.”

Verma said the forest department has worked hard to ensure that the Kuno National Park has been turned into a suitable habitat for the cheetah.

“The process of shifting of the Asiatic lion couldn’t take place. But we hope that the cheetah will come to Kuno. The introduction of the cheetah will give a new life to the area. The locals, who are waiting for Lion and Cheetah for the past 10 years to boost the local economy, will also get benefit of it. We have left no stone unturned to prepare the national park as the most suitable habitat for the cheetah,” said Verma.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-new...MlCdJ.html Reply

[Ovie11]

Nauradehi Sanctuary is much better for African Cheetah living

The cheetah, which has been extinct from India, has got permission from the Supreme Court to resettle it here. This cheetah is to be brought from Africa, for which a team is going to come to Madhya Pradesh in the next few days on the instructions of the Supreme Court because here Kuno Palpur The forest of National Park and Nauradehi Sanctuary of Sagar district are considered suitable for cheetah living. If seen in the area, the Nauradehi Sanctuary is much better for Cheetah living and is much larger than Koo no Palpur National Park. The biggest thing is that efforts have been going on for two years to bring cheetah to Nauradehi and the forest is being prepared for cheetah to stay here. Now it is up to the team to decide who will meet the cheetah.

This is the history of Kuno Palpur National Park: Kuno Palpur National Park is between Sheopur and Morena District of Madhya Pradesh. The park was established in 1981 and was surveyed by scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India in the year 1994. The goal of launching the three-phase Singh project was set in 1995. In the year 2013, the Supreme Court ordered the shifter shift in Koo no Park and the same year it was made a National Park. In the year 2018, MP Cabinet approved the formation of a national park. It may be noted that at the time of establishment of Kuno National Park, its forest was 345 sq km, but after the expansion of the sanctuary, the total area of this national park is 748 sq km. 

Nauradehi is the biggest sanctuary of the state: On the other hand, if you talk about Nauradehi sanctuary in Sagar district, then it is spread between three districts Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur. This sanctuary was established in the year 1975. Nauradehi is the most distinct place of wildlife sanctuary due to its bio diversity. One can enjoy trekking, adventure and wild safari in this wild life Sanctuary. Nauradehi Sanctuary is the largest sanctuary in the state, its total area is 1200 sq km which is the highest among all the sanctuaries. It is said that the lion also inhabited here along with other animals. 

If African Leopard is being brought to Madhya Pradesh in India under the Cheetah Project, then Nauradehi Sanctuary is the best because there are big plains, two big rivers originate from here. The area is quite large. Even after this, it could not get the status of National Park. On the other hand, after the area of Kuno Palpur National Park was reduced considerably, it was declared a National Park two years ago. It has been learned from the sources that the team coming from Delhi to select the location of Cheetah dwellings will first go to Kuno Palpur National Park and then to Nauradehi Sanctuary. 

Cheetah, extinct 70 years ago: The cheetah species has become extinct 70 years ago from India and survey work has been done for the last 10 years to bring it from Africa to India. The forest of Koo no Palpur and Nauradehi Sanctuary is favorable for cheetah. On the directions of the Supreme Court, a team will inspect both the parks of MP this week and it will be decided on the basis of the team's report that where the cheetah will come. 


DFO Rakhi Nanda of Nauradehi Sanctuary told that the team has to come to inspect, but no such order has come in writing so it cannot be said right now. He told that at present one thousand cheetahs are being brought to Nauradehi. It is to be noted that cheetahs are the most important food of cheetahs and if thousands of cheetahs are being released suddenly in Nauradehi, then it is also certain that the team is going to inspect soon, then with these cheetahs, they will also see that forest of cheetah. Designed to live. 

Translated from google 

https://www.naidunia.com/madhya-pradesh/...ez-6533275 Reply

[Ovie11]

Center surveyed Guru Ghasidas National Park for Cheetah and asked for report


The practice of bringing cheetah from South Africa has started in the country. The process accelerated following the Supreme Court's order. The Central Government has written a letter to the Forest Department asking for a report from the Forest Department after surveying the nature of living and eating of cheetah in Guru Ghasidas National Park. According to department officials, the survey work will be completed soon. 

It is to be known that the cheetah species have ended in the country. The exercise was launched ten years ago to bring cheetah to the country. For this, surveys of national parks across the country were conducted to select habitat areas suitable for cheetahs brought from South Africa. The survey was conducted by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Guru Ghasidas National Park was selected in the survey, but due to the passage of ten years, the Central Government has written a letter to conduct the survey again. 


What have changed in ten years

The Central Government has issued a letter asking the Forest Department, how the Guru Ghasidas National Park has changed after the survey conducted ten years ago. What are the chances of a cheetah living there? How can the cheetah live area be upgraded. The Forest Department prepared a long term plan for this. If any other place is suitable, also tell where the leopard can live easily. It is also written that the officers of the forest department should join full power for this and give information as soon as possible. 

Cheetahs did not appear in the country after 1948

In India, the last three cheetahs were killed in 1948 by Maharaja Ramanuja Pratap Singhdev in the forested area of Ramgarh village in Korea. This was the last occurrence of cheetah in Korea district and all over India. 


Discussion of Africa being brought from Namibia

According to forest department sources, a meeting was held in Delhi regarding suitable sanctuaries for cheetahs. After that the National Tiger Conservation Authority also sought details of all these. A total of 20 cheetahs are expected to be brought from Africa to Namibia under the plan, although only two or three can be brought in the first batch. 

Version

Ten years ago, a nationwide survey was conducted for cheetah habitat, in which Chhattisgarh's Guru Ghasidas National Park was also selected. After 10 years, a letter has come from the Central Government about what is the situation at present. Survey tax report has been sought. - Arun Kumar Pandey, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Wildlife, Raipur 

Translated from google 

https://www.naidunia.com/chhattisgarh/ra...rt-6555228 Reply

[Ovie11]

The possibility of cheetahs being increased in Madhya Pradesh, may also be part of the project, Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary of Neemuch

The possibilities of cheetahs have increased in Madhya Pradesh. The Central Empowered Committee (Central Empowered Committee) constituted under the supervision of the Supreme Court will be visiting the state from November 23 to December 3. The committee will also inspect Kauro Palpur National Park in Sheopur district, Nauradehi Sanctuary of Sagar, Madhav National Park of Shivpuri and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary of Neemuch. At these places, cheetah-friendly environment and habitat area will be assessed. After finishing the tour of the state, the committee will also go to inspect the Mukandra Hills Tiger Reserve spread across four districts of Rajasthan.

The Rajasthan government has claimed that its environment is favorable for cheetahs. After a ten-year long battle, the Supreme Court has approved the Cheetah project of the Government of India in January-20. Along with this, the court constituted a three-member Central Empowered Committee, which will inspect all protected areas including the Kuno Palpur National Park in Madhya Pradesh and submit its report to the court, where the environment of cheetah has been found. Although the committee was supposed to come only in March-April, but due to Covid-19 there was a lockdown and the committee could not come.

Now coming on 23 November. The committee consists of Dr. YB Jhala, senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), along with senior officials and scientists. The Supreme Court has included Ranjit Singh, former director of WII, current director Dhananjay Mohan and DIG of Wildlife Branch in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the committee. 


In 2010, the Government of India started work on the Cheetah Settlement Project in Kuno Palpur in the event of Babbar tiger from Gujarat. A petition was filed against this in the Supreme Court and the court had stayed the project. Gandhi Sagar and Madhav Park are also ready for cheetahs besides the Kuno Palpur National Park and Nauradehi Sanctuary in the state. 

After the decision of the Supreme Court, the Forest Department has made a claim for the establishment of cheetah in both protected areas. Therefore, the committee will start the tour from Gandhi Sagar and reach Kuno Palpur on 25 November. According to the friendly forest officials, the selected four protected areas are suitable for the Cheetah project. They have grasslands, hide-away tendons and enough vegan wildlife for hunting. There is also evidence of living cheetah species from 70 to 100 years ago. Therefore their environment will be favorable for the cheetah.

Translated from google 

https://www.naidunia.com/madhya-pradesh/...ct-6577684 Reply

[Ovie11]

Scientists will decide whether the Cheetah will come to the Gandhisagar sanctuary 

Whether or not the leopards will come from Africa, Iran, Namibia or any other country in the Gandhisagar sanctuary located in the district - it has not been decided yet. It will be decided by a team of scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India. The team will visit the sanctuary in the last week of November. The team will visit four sanctuaries in the state. After that it will be decided whether the roar of cheetahs will erupt in the Gandhisagar sanctuary. However, the Forest Department has gathered in its preparation. A target has been set to bring 500 chital from Rajgarh district to the Gandhisagar forest area and so far 18 chital have been left here. They are being brought here for hunting leopards and other carnivorous creatures.  

The claim of Gandhisagar Sanctuary seems to be the strongest in settling cheetahs in MP. Nestled amidst the Aravalli mountain ranges, this natural sanctuary has everything that wild animals need. There are grasslands here, there are kandaras in the mountain. Apart from this, there is also dense forest. Spread over an area of about 368 sq km, the sanctuary also contains Kher, Ber, Palash and other species. Apart from this, the most important is a reservoir filled with unfathomable water. 

 After the Supreme Court gave approval to the Cheetah project of the Government of India, now the selection of a place for cheetah from Gandhisagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur district, Kuno Palpur National Park in Sheopur district, Nauradehi Sanctuary of Sagar, Madhav National Park in Shivpuri Have to be. The government has considered these four places to be inhabited by the leopard. Now in the last week of November, a team of scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India will visit all the four places including Gandhisagar and decide which place is suitable for cheetahs. However, even if the committee chooses here, it will take about three years for the cheetahs to arrive. 

There are more than 50 leopards, hyena, 225 species of birds in the sanctuary 

About 50 leopards were found in the Gandhisagar sanctuary at the last count about two years ago. Apart from this, hyena, wild fox are also in plenty. The rest are also small wildlife. As many as 225 species of birds have been found in the bird census this year. The forest department has already started managing their food in the plan to settle the cheetahs here. For this, deer species is being brought here and settled here. 

Work is on to start a cheetah in India. A team of wildlife scientists can visit Gandisagar in the last week of November. It will be decided on their report whether the leopard will come to Gandhisagar or not. Till now we have brought 18 chital in Gandhisagar. There is a plan to bring 500 chital here. - Sanjay Kumar Chauhan, Forest Officer, Mandsaur 

Translated from google 


https://www.naidunia.com/madhya-pradesh/mandsaur-scientists-will-decide-whether-the-leopard-will-come-to-the-sanctuary-6578529 Reply

[Ovie11]

Cheetah: The Comeback

As experts from the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) start the process of evaluating sites to reintroduce the majestic cheetah to India’s wilds, a competition of sorts has also begun between states to play host.


The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952. Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya is believed to have hunted and shot the last three recorded Asiatic cheetahs in India in 1947. Now, over 70 years later, the fastest land animal appears set to make a comeback in India. 

In 2009, Jairam Ramesh, then minister for environment and forests, had initiated the cheetah reintroduction project, but it was stayed by the Supreme Court in 2012 on the grounds that the African cheetah was an alien and exotic species and because the National Board for Wildlife, the apex wildlife body in the country, had not been consulted in the matter. In January 2020, though, after the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) filed a petition, the Supreme Court finally allowed the Centre to introduce the African cheetah to a suitable habitat in India. A committee, including M.K. Ranjitsinh, wildlife conservationist and former IAS officer, Dhananjay Mohan, IFS, director of the WII, and a deputy inspector general from the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), has been set up under the orders of the apex court to monitor the implementation of the project. The committee has asked the WII to carry out a technical evaluation of all possible sites. 

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar are eager to host the big cats in their respective forest reserves, and a fourth state, Gujarat, is still evaluating sites. While Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were part of the original plan, Bihar is an interesting, new claimant.

Y.V. Jhala, dean, faculty of wildlife science at the WII, will travel to Madhya Pradesh on November 26 to begin site evaluation at four habitats. “We will visit all probable sites before narrowing down on the better ones for reintroduction, depending on factors like prey base, topography and safety,” says Jhala. The state had initially shortlisted two sites, the Kuno Palpur sanctuary, which has also been cleared as a second home of the Asiatic lion, and the Nauradehi sanctuary in Sagar district, but has now offered two more options, the Gandhi Sagar sanctuary on the northern boundary of Mandsaur and Nimach districts and the Madhav National Park in Shivpuri district. “Protection measures have been strengthened, protected areas have been added, augmentation of prey base has been done through translocation of herbivore species and villages have been relocated outside reserves to create inviolate areas,” says J.S. Chauhan, additional principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife wing, Madhya Pradesh. He adds: “Madhya Pradesh has been a pioneering state in wildlife translocation and has a number of successful initiatives involving species such as tigers, swamp deer and bison to its credit.” Chauhan believes the habitats in the state have a good chance of being selected.

According to a top Madhya Pradesh government official, once a site is cleared, it will not take long for the cheetahs to be reintroduced to the chosen habitat. “It will take a couple of years since a lot of work is being done simultaneously,” says the official, adding that talks are on with donor groups in South Africa and Namibia to source the animals. The number of cheetahs to be brought in is to be decided at the end of the site evaluation process. “The idea is to survey multiple habitats and ideally choose more than one. Once the habitats are shortlisted, WII may recommend certain measures that should be taken to further improve it,” says Ranjitsinh, chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed committee. “We were initially looking to complete the site selection by the end of the year and bringing in the animals by next year. Unfortunately, Covid has impacted the pace of work, but once the site selection work begins, the cats can be brought in next year.”

Other states are just as optimistic as Madhya Pradesh about bagging the project. The MoEF had written to all states to come up with a proposal for potential sites. The Rajasthan forest department has proposed the Shahgarh Bulge near Jaisalmer on the India-Pakistan border, which was under consideration in the earlier version of the plan too. However, the ministry of defence has expressed concerns over allowing tourist movement so close to the border. Plus, the area is also used by the defence forces for strategic movement and they are reluctant to let the cheetah introduction disturb that. Besides, it is also a site for oil and gas exploration, which may not be conducive to cheetah movement.

Kota in Rajasthan was also in the reckoning, but it has been difficult to find 2,000 sq. km for a cheetah habitat here, more so since tiger introduction in the area is already underway. The Mukundra Hill Tiger Reserve in the state is another contender.


Among the respondents to the MoEF’s letter for potential sites was Bihar, offering the Kaimur district on its southwestern border as a potential site. The region is said to have a substantial black buck population that would serve as prey base for the cheetah. There was talk of Gujarat throwing its hat in the ring as well, since the state has potential sites such as Velavadar, Narayan Sarovar and the Banni grasslands reserve, but it is yet to send in a proposal. 

The tourism potential of the cheetah project is not lost on the states. “The reintroduction would be as much an economic operation as a conservation operation. The cheetahs would promote tourism in the area, create jobs and income for locals. What tigers did for protection of forests, cheetahs will do for grasslands that are under immense threat,” says H.S. Pabla, former chief wildlife warden, Madhya Pradesh. According to Kuldeep Singh Chandela, president of the Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators, “The introduction of cheetahs will create one or two new tourist attractions in the state and take away loads from Ranthambore and Sariska, the two tiger draws in the state. Already, leopard sanctuaries in Jaipur and Pali are new attractions for wildlife lovers.” 

The Union government, too, has shown considerable interest in the project. Even as ministries faced cuts during the pandemic, a Rs 2.4 crore outlay was made for the cheetah project a little more than a month ago. 

https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/up-front/story/20201130-cheetah-the-comeback-1742523-2020-11-20 Reply