Cheetah Reintroduction in India

[Matias]

Hi @Ovie11 

In relation to interactions between different species, Indian wolves are one more problem, in addition to the striped hyena, sloth bear and leopards (within the wild species, possibly the most emblematic for the survival of adults and cubs), foxes and jackals as well - young puppies, harassment and prey kidnapping cannot be minimized, and feral (domestic) dogs are also in good numbers in this landscape. A salad of competitors for artificially set animals. We'll leave people out, even though some of the cheetahs will have try evade Kuno as far as they can.

I keep thinking: why not leave the leopard that escaped the traps in the acclimatization enclosures (after all, an enclosure without any predators cannot be called “acclimatization”). Acclimatization with prey only, without competitors is not a real test.

While the concern is strongly directed towards hunting (knowing whether cheetahs can feed themselves) a whole larger aspect that has to be observed and measured seems to have no purpose in the actions that are taken. What we're seeing so far is an artificial show in a selective environment. Advertisement for an introduction project that hasn't happened yet.

Indian wolves tend to be equalized to the same extent as feral (domestic) dogs. The latter can be culled to lessen their impact on the landscape, something that would be good for all Kuno resident species. There are not many wolves and their interaction will depend on the behavior of the cheetahs towards them, which should at some level (I think not high) not have a problematic bias for the cheetahs' long-term survival. Reply