Cheetah Reintroduction in India

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Breaking pattern, cheetah Asha kills a nilgai calf at Kuno National Park

Marking an important point in the adaptability of India’s cheetah reintroduction plan, the female cheetah Asha killed the calf of a nilgai (Asian antelope), breaking the pattern of the translocated cheetahs killing only cheetals (spotted deer).

According to Madhya Pradesh forest officials, Asha was spotted with her third kill on Saturday morning at the Kuno National Park. She killed a nilgai calf estimated to be of 25-30 kg.

The kill boosted the confidence of forest officials who were watching closely the cheetahs’ behaviour and hoping that the big cats would diversify its kill base.

Speaking to The Indian Express, chief wildlife warden J S Chauhan said, “Whenever there was a talk of translocating cheetahs to Kuno-Palpur, a major discussion was held around their prey base. It was strongly believed that these African cheetahs would not be able to kill a cheetal or a nilgai. But the fact that Asha, the smallest among the lot, has managed to hunt down a nilgai calf is very encouraging.”

With this development, the forest department would work towards promoting a prey base of nilgais and cheetals for the cheetahs. “Considering that nilgais reproduce well and they are a big menace to farmlands, this will go a long way in allowing humans to coexist,” said Chauhan.

With International Cheetah Day falling on December 4, officials at the national park are organising awareness drives among the nearby villagers.

All the eight African cheetahs translocated from Namibia on September 17 were released into a larger enclosure in a staggered manner. The brothers Freddie and Elton were the first two to leave their quarantine bomas, on November 5. Three female cheetahs—Savanah, Sasha and Saayyaya—were the last to be released, completing the first phase of the cheetah’s acclimatisation period in their new habitat.

But the three female cheetahs are being closely monitored because they have not made a single big kill since their release on November 28. The big cats are surviving on small kills of hare after being moved into the larger enclosure. In their quarantine bomas, all cheetahs were given buffalo meat and were not required to hunt.

Forest officials said that unlike the five other cheetahs, these three females were born in the wild but were raised in semi-wild conditions with the constant care and protection of experts at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia.

“Such animals take a little longer to adjust to new environments and make kills. We will have to wait and watch,” said a senior forest official, requesting anonymity.

The trio have been kept in a 1.5 sq-km-long enclosure, which is filled with a prey base and is a grassland.

“It is true that these three females will have to learn to hunt but they are making constant efforts. We are hopeful that we will soon get to hear of their first hunt,” said Chauhan.

Meanwhile, the Union environment minister has signed a memorandum of understanding in South Africa for the translocation of 12 more cheetahs, which are expected to arrive as early as mid-December.

Once the 12 cheetahs arrive, the eight big cats from Namibia will have to be released into the wild to make space for the new batch in the large enclosure, once its month-long quarantine ends.

“Considering that these 12 cheetahs have been quarantined in South Africa for long, it wouldn’t be wise to delay their quarantine,” said another forest official.

Officials described the cheetah Oban as a “habitual hunter”.

However, Chauhan said, “These eight Namibian cheetahs will not be released into the free range until we are absolutely sure that they have become ace hunters.”


https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bhopal/kuno-national-park-cheetah-asha-makes-a-kill-other-than-a-cheetal-8303821/lite/?fbclid=IwAR0doMYs1nAg5Z14f7nIenfuHP-1oHgayWQWQmm8fEOIPd3FMj5_SbIhS7U Reply