Cheetah Reintroduction in India

[Ashutosh]

@Horizon, that is a very touchy subject. Gujaratis consider the asiatic lion to be their cultural symbol and fair enough too considering they are the ones that saved the asiatic lions from extinction and continue doing a stupendous job for reviving their numbers.

The political side of this issue rears up every time a new location is suggested or identified for translocating a few lions to create a second metapopulation in case of a disease outbreak or flash flood like situation. 

The politicians and wildlife tour operators around Gir don’t wish this gravy train to stop and hence thwart any and every attempt at such translocation. Tour operators only look at their margins (which are bulging) and if only Gir has Asiatic lions, they gave a monopoly over this sector and politicians play on the “Gujarati pride” (pun intended).

In 1978, Indian Govt and Iran under Shah regime had agreed to exchange 20 Asiatic lions for 20 Asiatic Cheetahs. Once the Iranian revolution happened in 1979, that deal never materialized. And, here we are. Reply