Cheetah Reintroduction in India

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MP: WII team in Nauradehi for cheetah relocation survey 

BHOPAL: A team from Wildlife Institute of India (WII), on the lookout for a site for the much awaited translocation of cheetahs from Africa, arrived at Nauradehi Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh on Monday for a feasibility survey.  

Nauradehi is among four locations shortlisted in MP. The team has already inspected the three others — Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, Kuno National Park and Madhav National Park. 

According to sources, cheetahs will not be relocated in one forest area alone. “Ek nahi anek (not one but many),” said Ranjit Singh, former WII director and the most senior member of the team supervising the project. “The cheetah will be relocated in more places in India as and when we get suitable sites. We want its relocation in the wild, and not in safaris,” he added. 

Talking exclusively with TOI, Singh said, “There are more places to be assessed for cheetah relocation. This includes Bihar. The cheetahs may be brought from South Africa or Namibia.”

On January 28 this year, Supreme Court had allowed the Centre to introduce the African cheetah in India. The apex court set up a three-member committee, comprising Singh, DG-WII Dhananjay Mohan and DIG-wildlife, ministry of environment and forests, to guide National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in taking a decision on the issue.

While the 1,197sqkm Nauradehi sanctuary is spread over four districts (Sagar, Damoh, Narsinghpur and Raisen), Gandhi Sagar straddles Mandsaur and Neemuch districts, Kuno-Palpur is in Sheopur and Madhav National Park is in neighbouring Shivpuri.

In 2019, when cheetah relocation came up for hearing in Supreme Court before a bench comprising Justice S A Bobde and Justice Deepak Gupta, a counsel for NTCA had told the court that the authority suggests Nauradehi for the project. 

A senior officer in Madhya Pradesh said, “Nauradehi was ready (for the relocation) and the only issue with the forest is the presence of almost 60 villages in the jungle. They are yet to be relocated.”

“Besides other issues, the commitment of the state government to fulfil all requirements is a must,” Singh said. The WII team is likely to visit Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota, Rajasthan, next.

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