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Cheetah Reintroduction in India
Cheetah Reintroduction in India
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Cheetah Reintroduction in India
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@Lycaon
The thing is "if a species brought back to its historic range, in which its habitat is pristine and undisturbed habitat, it'll not only sustain itself but the whole ecosystem in which it thrives will be retained. (02-04-2019, 02:04 PM)Lycaon Wrote: Because introducing non native animals is generally not a good idea.. It is not "Introduction". It is Reintroduction. It is part of Conservation. There are no reasons that make cheetah survival difficult in India. Please don't say that you don't like the idea hence. First of all, it's a cheetah (Acionyx jabatus) and after that, it had given a name based on the geography. They inhabit a variety of habitats. It has been observed in dry forests, scrub forests, and savannahs. In prehistoric times, the cheetah was distributed throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. Gradually, it vanished from Europe. Though it could survive when given enough prey in deserts and tropical forests, it didn't "prefer" them and avoided mostly. In Eurasia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, and the Ganga and Indus river valleys in South Asia sheltered large numbers of cheetahs. I don't know why you accepted with the proposal of bringing "Iranian Cheetah" to India then as it has a different name and also different geography and climate. These are days which non-native animals are introduced to non-historic range places and they are not only thriving there but also devastating the introduced place wilderness. Some others helping in balancing and recovering their surrounding environment. You can say Dingo for this instance. (02-04-2019, 02:35 PM)Lycaon Wrote: You do realize the reason the asiatic cheetah is called iranian because it now only lives in iran. Also irans cliamate is not too diffirent from indias. I Know all these... but you are defining, naming and border-lining species based on geography. Hence, I thought, why you are not thinking the same between countries, if you dig deeper, then microscopic variations between Iranian Cheetah and Indian Cheetah are also present, as they are separate populations. If you go even deeper, then genetic makeup between Individual cheetahs will be different. This concept is wrong and Acionyx jubatus is a species. Can you show the difference in between India's arid savanna and Africa's Grasslands and also Climate and Temperature. Species itself lives in similar biomes with required adaptations and "not based on human conceptions" like lining continents, countries, islands etc.., We are not even talking about separate species. Don't know Why this debate and negotiation arising. Though it's not about those, as their survival depends more upon open landscaped vegetation irrespective of the grass species type and Prey availability. Can you be more specific on which aspect, African Cheetah won't survive in India on which all expert bodies and organizations are agreeing and "Recommending"? Thank You.
It is not that african cheetahs cant survive in india. It is just wiser to reintroduce asiatic cheetahs as opposed to african ones.
It is also proven that asiatic cheetah is genetically diffirent from african ones. (02-04-2019, 02:57 PM)Lycaon Wrote: It is not that african cheetahs cant survive in india. It is just wiser to reintroduce asiatic cheetahs as opposed to african ones.Very well mannered reply. Thank You, I appreciate that. Completely agreed. It is definitely wiser. It is out of our (India) hands now. This debate and proposal was over many years ago. Iran is not a helping foundation to give Cheetahs freely without anything in return or exchange, their country too has people and are a nation and in that too, to a country in which States hate neighboring states even though they do good to them but don't have any owing feeling to do favor in return, it is irrelevant to ask them to give lion to other country in exchange. I too hope asiatic cheetah reintroduction should happen but it won't not even zoo Asian specimens reintroduction as all the stock is in Iran. But, we've left out of options. Quote:@Lycaon I know. (02-04-2019, 03:52 PM)Lycaon Wrote: @Sanju LOL. They are less than 40-50, it would not be a miracle if they naturally return to India? it would be miracle if they survive for the next 2 yrs. Hence, Asiatic cheetah will be lost forever in the wild in a couple of years. at least we should save about 6k to 7k african cheetah left in the world as many ways as possible. Other than that, there are no corridors or natural passage patches with minimum prey that support them and all it is left in 21st century is human settlements, and among all mass migration of predators for 1000's of kilometers like prey as Blue Wildebeest in Africa's masia mara, is not gonna happen. It is all the way desert to India (Hindustan).  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author You know what? then, why should they come to India, they might have been places in Afghan and Pak along the path to India and can settle there too which are one of the best suitable sites for Asiatic Cheetah in the world within Historic range.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Other thing is, the nearest and best possible site for Asiatic/Iranian cheetah in India alongside Kuno evaluated by expert Panel is "Shahgarh landscape" continuous with "Desert NP" in Rajasthan along the international border of Pakistan.  *This image is copyright of its original author That pink shaded area at the border.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
If asiatic lions can be brought back from the brink of extinction so can the asiatic cheetah. Iran has been doing great work conserving them. The cheetah is even on the jersey of the iran national football team.
Plus the cheetah in iran has survived all the turmoil that iran has been through till now. (02-04-2019, 04:19 PM)Lycaon Wrote: If asiatic lions can be brought back from the brink of extinction so can the asiatic cheetah. Iran has been doing great work conserving them. The cheetah is even on the jersey of the iran national football team. Plus the cheetah in iran has survived all the turmoil that iran has been through till now. Animal population will certainly rebound to normal dynamics if given sufficient help from Humans which disrupted their environment gave this situation of extinction. BTW, being the only country to have such a majestic animal still roaming extinct in other neighboring countries in the world is no less great. The concept of Asiatic Lion is different as it's fate also would have been same like Asiatic cheetah but they are living at this moment now coz of marketing awareness among Gujarati and the desperate need to save them from extinction. Though their great and exceptional effort may go in vain at any moment due to a catastrophe due the same greediness which drove them to conserve lions. where as Iran is concerned, the country/nation has poor economical condition and unable to afford capital for conservation of Asiatic cheetah, all they are surviving on is funds from different organizations through out the world and promoting to fund and donate money through advertising on jersey's of foot ball team and others. Shortage/instability of funds showing immediate effect on cheetah population as you might have known that within few years, their population went from 100s to <50 now based on Individual identification and count not even that is accurate. The condition of them is critical and though they have the potential to conserve, they lack money and their country's administration and people's mindset is not that much encouraging or supporting and showing shortsightedness on them as still cheetah are killed if they depredate or confusion with Persian leopard and died on road accidents regularly. Hence, India took up the job by seeing the inability and bring up the prestige or glory to India's by conserving and reintroducing the only recently extinct large mammal. 
Cheetahs need to be reintroduced to India, like the tiger in the forest, they're a key part of the grassland ecosystem. If brought back, they'd control the populations of chinkara and blackbuck. This can also bring in more tourists, I mean think about it, what other country would have Cheetahs, Lions, tigers, leopards, and snow leopards? Seriously, in the old days, India wasn't just the kingdom of the tiger, it was the kingdom of big cats.
(02-05-2019, 05:10 AM)smedz Wrote: Cheetahs need to be reintroduced to India, like the tiger in the forest, they're a key part of the grassland ecosystem. If brought back, they'd control the populations of chinkara and blackbuck.Yes, you are 200 % right. Tiger and "Indian" Leopard are the keystone species of forest and other closed type of habitats which are dominant and are all over the subcontinent. Where as the savanna, plains and grasslands are extremely rare and going to vanish in a few years about only 1% of total country's area remains now. In that 1%, most of it is unprotected and Indian govt never gave priority to conserve grasslands but some of them are still remaining in Deccan plateau, western India and Central India and there is Thar desert eco region in Rajasthan. In them some small land bits of them are labelled as wildlife sanctuaries and reserves. Cheetah, Lion, Great Indian Bustard and Indian wolf were the keystone species of this landscapes. Now because of this ill mindset of people and Govt, once the country whole with open environment part of Gondwana, now turned empty of grassland wilderness and so are its fauna, key stone species and other adapted animals and herbivores. Remember how "Yellow Stone wolf Reintroduction", helped restored the whole landscape. others like Tiger canyons, Loahu valley reserve, Panna, Sariska etc.., ofcourse, the first two are filling lion's niche in Karoo of south Africa as "introduced alien species". See people, how easily introduced tiger Africa as an alien species but little negotiation oft that coz it is BAD (bad don't have opposition) even from IUCN but whereas to "reintroduce" native cat species back to homeland i.e.., cheetah there is lot of negotiation, criticism and discussion coz it is GOOD (Good always has opposition and negativity coz it is bitter but bad is sweet and tasty). sick minds of political parties. Hence, for the first time, there is an idea to bring back the only extinct big mammalian carnivore in recent times and Lion to India. Yes, Lion too should be brought to India, Gujarat is not India, there are other states too. Yes they will control herbivore populations without showing versatility like leopard from playing roles in other ecosystems and solely for Grasslands food chain. This will make, herbivore grazing and browsing on plant life balanced and dynamics are stabilized for conservation and protection and prosperity. (02-05-2019, 05:10 AM)smedz Wrote: This can also bring in more tourists, I mean think about it, what other country would have Cheetahs, Lions, tigers, leopards, and snow leopards? Seriously, in the old days, India wasn't just the kingdom of the tiger, it was the kingdom of big cats.Yeah! not just more people will come in tonnes, film crews, local and international tourists, adventurers, biologists, experts. you name it. You forgot, Eurasian lynx and clouded leopard, Jungle cat and rare Fishing cat alongside Indian leopards, Indian lions, Asian cheetahs, Bengal tigers, snow leopards, Pallas cat, Rusty-spotted cat, Leopard cat, Asian golden cat, Asian steppe wildcat or Indian desert cat or Asiatic wildcat, Caracal and Marbled Cat. A Total of 16!!!! Once, it was home to all these and cheetah extinct and Lion going to extinct. It was a kingdom of Cats.
Your right Sanju, though this also makes me wonder how the Cheetahs would interact with the Indian Wolves, I'm sure at least male Cheetah coalitions would hate them as much as tigers hate Dholes.
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