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Cheetah Reintroduction in India
Cheetah Reintroduction in India
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Cheetah Reintroduction in India
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South African expert team expected in India soon for cheetah translocation to Kuno
BHOPAL: A team of South African cheetah experts is expected to be in India later this month to brief Indian foresters about the risk management plan for the translocation of cheetahs to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh and the steps needed to be taken for the success of the project. A South African official familiar with the discussion on the project said that once India approves the risk management plan shared with the Indian government, a team of South African officials would visit Kuno. “We expect the visit to happen by end of August,” he said. The management plan, submitted by the head of the cheetah metapopulation project director Vincent ven der Merwe, details the steps to be taken to prevent disease transmission, mortality in transit, low post-release survival rate, human-wildlife conflict and long-term genetic and demography viability of wild cheetahs. Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh is expected to get four male and four female cheetahs from Namibia by the end of this month. In September, 12 more African cheetahs are expected to come from South Africa once the two countries sign a memorandum of understanding, officials said. India signed the agreement with Namibia on July 20. According to the risk management plan, between 2001 and 2009, 157 ‘problem’ cheetahs removed from South Africa farmland were relocated to 41 newly establish fenced reserves in South Africa, collectively known as the ‘metapopulation’. The document said the metapopulation cheetahs were best suited for the proposed Indian reintroduction as they were born and raised amongst competing predators (including lion, spotted hyena, leopard, wild dogs and brown hyena) and can be considered predator savvy. Also, these cheetahs are accustomed to living within confined protected areas and can be considered fence respecting having no record of livestock depredation. The cheetahs will fly to India in specialized transport crates. “These crates have been designed based on experiences obtained from fifty years of cheetah transport and are designed to minimise stress and allow for veterinary intervention in the case of emergency,” the plan said. A chartered cargo aircraft of the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India will transport the cheetahs to India. “Heavy lift helicopters, with closed doors, have kindly been made available by the Indian Air Force for the relocation of the cheetahs from Jaipur International Airport to the holding facilities and Kuno National Park,” it said. But, the real risk comes after the release of the animals in an enclosure with cheetahs exhibiting a “low survival rate” post-release. They will need round-the-clock monitoring through GPS tracking devices to improve the survival rate. If the cheetahs escape from their enclosure in Kuno, the plan said, they will be immobolised and brought back. Serial escapees will be sent to Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, it said. Two experienced South African veterinarians, Dr Mike Toft and Dr Jennifer Lawrence will stay around for the first two months to ensure further training in the field and sufficient manpower in the event of multiple escapes. “Gus van Dyk, one of South Africa most experienced reserve managers, will also advise on best practices with regards to wild cheetah boma management and wild cheetah capture for a two-week period post release,” the plan said. The plan underlined that there was a potential for human-wildlife conflict in both the 48,700-hectare buffer zone surrounding Kuno National Park, as well as sheep and goat farming areas on the periphery of this protected area. “Cheetahs that are responsible for several cases of livestock depredation will be considered for relocation to the fully enclosed Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve,” the plan said. At the Kuno National Park, Indian officials said they are prepared. The 12km-long fence has been completed with seven internal compartments. The fencing has been fitted with solar electric to shoo away wild animals, an official said. But the two leopards that have to be moved out of the enclosure for the cheetahs are still proving to be a major challenge. Officials are yet to catch them “Long weeds, grass and the muddy soil have hindered our effort to catch the leopards. Now, two elephants have arrived from Satpura Tiger Reserve and soon the tranquillisation of leopard will be done,” said Kuno National Park field director Prakash Verma. To be sure, this round of translocation of cheetahs is only the first step. Merwe’s report said India will need to get more wild cheetahs in future to “ensure genetic and demographic viability” of the wild cheetahs in the long term. “This will require long-term commitment by South African and Namibian authorities,” the Merwe report said. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/south-african-expert-team-expected-in-india-soon-for-cheetah-translocation-to-kuno-101660835142309-amp.html?fbclid=IwAR3mlWyFtRu_GUcnzQauPSxlhosX3qdalg9MmGy0lQBC70iGCM1wked3Bco
20 African Cheetahs To Help Stop Crop Damage In Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh, which is home to 19 per cent of India's tiger population and is often referred to as the "Tiger state", is all set to welcome 20 cheetahs from Africa. Kunwar Vijay Shah, the state's Forest Minister, told NDTV that these cheetahs are expected to arrive from Namibia and South Africa on November 1, the foundation day of the state. While this comes as good news for wildlife lovers, it can also help farmers in certain parts of Madhya Pradesh breathe a sigh of relief as the cheetahs are expected to feed on the blackbucks that damage crops every season. Mr Shah said: "Certain pending issues -- including removal of three leopards from the 500-hectare enclosure prepared for the cheetahs in Kuno National Park and a memorandum of understanding with the South African government -- need to be sorted out before the cheetahs can be brought to MP." For farmers in three districts of the Gwalior-Chambal region -- Shivpuri, Guna and Ashoknagar -- the arrival of the cheetahs is expected to provide a solution to the long-standing problem of blackbucks, or Indian antelopes, damaging crops. The state Forest Department is working on a project to move the blackbucks from the three districts in the Gwalior-Chambal region and use them as a suitable prey base for the African cheetahs in Kuno. CS Ninama, the Chief Conservator of Forests at Madhav National Park, told NDTV: "Though the cheetahs will have a prey base inside the park, the availability of blackbucks as preys will help solve the problem of crop damage. By translocating the blackbucks to Kuno National Park and other ideal habitats, we'll not only be helping the farmers, but also saving them from coming under attack from wild canines -- particularly in the monsoon season." He added: "We'll complete a census of the blackbuck population in the three districts within the next few weeks." https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kuno-national-park-in-madhya-pradesh-to-receive-20-cheetahs-from-namibia-and-south-africa-this-november-3288084?fbclid=IwAR1m7IHeJOwcKzeuNJfPRSvPHAKMkaNV4eoadaZqOwyoZU1yqdqcGghf2aM
The issue of this introduction be endless soap opera.
Of the eight recently forwarded, 3 were or are being returned. Romeo Muyunda stated that: of the eight separate specimens, three did not feed alone. The EWT has a solid project, where consistent parameters are observed for any individual to be relocated, with a high prevalence of providing genetic plurality when establishing a set of metapopulations in the private reserves of South Africa. The Harnas and Otjiwarongo sanctuaries have a huge amount of rescued animals and the conduct of the agreement between the countries must have complicated the effective participation of the EWT. Surplus animals (that were about to be relocated) from private reserves participating in the project in SA would be more suitable than animals captured from “the conflict zone with Namibian farmers or taking healthy individuals from the wild to the stress of confinement”. From the outset, it seemed obvious to me that the group to be transferred would include animals of various origins: surplus, problematic and “rehabilitated.” A salad of animals unsuitable for a resettlement project. The success issues of the EWT program in the Game Reserve participants is sensitive, there are many losses and gains. In short, it is a strategy that depends on careful and intensive human management of small populations in fenced environments. Currently, nearly 500 cheetahs are distributed across the 60 reserves of the Cheetah Metapopulation Project, so there are enough animals to collect and maintain future flows to Kuno Palpur. Dr. Valmik spoke about adaptation issues, noting that the cheetahs in Kuno Palpur will face a horde of predators, constant human presence and ecological and environmental situations that are difficult to overcome. Cheetahs are fragile animals, only of the feral dogs will be a huge problem. The contact between Indian conservation professionals and African conservationists is a stimulating enrichment of perspectives. Knowing the concepts that South Africa and Namibia have established to keep their predators will bring new conceptual visions, such as the observance in South Africa of the use of fences in the Game Reserve (private initiative) in a wide scope of Conservation, in which it is still totally ignored by conservation professionals in India. Cheetahs may not get along, which is true, but other benefits will come from the experience. In the current conjuncture of Indian lands for wildlife, it is extremely unlikely that, without making adaptations experimented in Africa, it seems to me almost impossible to keep these predators without a constant flow and in good numbers of replacement specimens. As a side effect, it may set a precedent for future skewed translocations. The establishment of a metapopulation in India depends on multiple and joint actions concomitant with cheetah settlements on other Indian reserve. Every day this project presents more and more problems. After all this effort… release them and let's believe in the possibility that some will survive after a year.
Not rejected any of the 8 cheetahs to be translocated from Namibia, says Centre
India has not rejected any of the eight cheetahs to be translocated from Namibia, the environment ministry said on Saturday, refuting reports that the country has refused to accept three cheetahs from the African nation because they were bred in captivity. The three cheetahs were born in the wild but were reared in captivity for some time, ministry officials involved with the translocation project said. “We want to clarify that India did not reject any of the eight identified African cheetahs. The three cheetahs are not captive-bred. They are wild-caught cheetahs, which were reared or kept in enclosed space for some time,” said a National Tiger Conservation Authority official who did not wish to be named. “The question of rejection doesn’t arise because they are very important from the perspective of conservation breeding.” India has in the past successfully reintroduced a tiger in the wild after being kept in captivity, he said. The tiger was caught in Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh several years ago and was subsequently reintroduced in Panna Tiger Reserve successfully, he added. “Re-wilding is not a concern because wild-caught cheetahs continue to have the instinct to hunt,” the official said. Captive or conservation breeding programs enable zoos to exhibit many species of animals without capturing new individuals from the wild, according to an article in Science Direct. These programmes breed endangered species in zoos and other research facilities to revive their populations and sometimes to release them in the wild. The delay in bringing the cheetahs to India is logistical and not related to concerns with the identified big cats, another official said. “The logistics are still being worked on. Both Indian and Namibian authorities are trying to get the cheetahs to travel as early as possible, but we cannot give a date at the moment. It may be sometime next month,” a Namibian official said, declining to be named. “The three cheetahs in question were all born in the wild. So, the question of being captive-bred does not arise.” Authorities and wildlife experts in India and Namibia are trying to work out a solution to a logistical challenge in transporting eight cheetahs from Namibia by air, HT reported on August 20. The animals are likely to be transported in a cargo airline under frequent monitoring by veterinarians and animal keepers to ensure they arrive safely in India after the 10-hour flight, environment ministry officials had said. Authorities and wildlife experts in India and Namibia are trying to work out a solution to a logistical challenge in transporting eight cheetahs from Namibia by air, HT reported on August 20. The animals are likely to be transported in a cargo airline under frequent monitoring by veterinarians and animal keepers to ensure they arrive safely in India after the 10-hour flight, environment ministry officials had said. “Translocation of wild animals, especially large predators, is a challenging process. When captive-bred predators have to be released into the wild, a whole host of additional challenges emerge,” said Ravi Chellam, conservation scientist and chief executive of Metastring Foundation. India is yet to sign an agreement with South Africa to translocate 12 cheetahs. India and Namibia signed an agreement to translocate cheetahs on July 20. The agreement will remain in force for five years and renewed subsequently. Cheetahs used to thrive across the central Indian landscape, but disappeared in the late 1940s due to large-scale hunting for sport and habitat loss. The cheetahs that are arriving are not Asiatic but African cheetahs, so India will be introducing a genetic subspecies and not the Asiatic cheetahs that went extinct, experts have said. Some wildlife biologists have also raised concerns that the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh was selected for lions, but the government now plans for dispersal of the Asiatic lions within Gujarat, the only state where they are found. “Translocation of wild animals especially large predators is a challenging process in itself. When captive-bred predators have to be released into the wild, a whole host of additional challenges emerge. The captive-bred animals need to possess the entire set of predation skills including how to open a prey animal once it has been captured and killed. How to defend their kill from other predators and scavengers which maybe larger in size or live in large groups? The captive animals should retain their fear for humans and not be imprinted,” said Ravi Chellam, CEO, Metastring Foundation & Coordinator, Biodiversity Collaborative. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/not-rejected-any-of-the-8-cheetahs-to-be-translocated-from-namibia-says-centre-101661710216959-amp.html?fbclid=IwAR0SngbDZ99w_5WBJStcuIZeb9yEpZMokgEhVw5UUsAvvKsTtrprFJnA45s
@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. (08-31-2022, 10:45 PM)Ashutosh Wrote: @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.Thanks Ashutosh, for explaining. If Namibia and SA could assist India by sharing their Cheetahs, why can’t India create and increase Asiatic lion’s habitat within itself at least? This thinking beats me. Reading this, I can infer some conclusions that are best not to share. As you are aware, there was an outbreak not too long ago that brought Asiatic lion’s population down. India Markets itself as the land of tiger, but would be great if they could try to make it a land of tiger and lion. (09-01-2022, 04:22 AM)Horizon Wrote: Thanks Ashutosh, for explaining. If Namibia and SA could assist India by sharing their Cheetahs, why can’t India create and increase Asiatic lion’s habitat within itself at least? This thinking beats me. Reading this, I can infer some conclusions that are best not to share. As you are aware, there was an outbreak not too long ago that brought Asiatic lion’s population down. India Markets itself as the land of tiger, but would be great if they could try to make it a land of tiger and lion. It is necessary to know multiple points to compose a more rational picture of the problem that India faces in “choosing” to keep dangerous predators in close proximity to its rural population. India cannot increase its land devoted to wild animals because it does not have it. What it currently has is the result of many translocations and indemnities, making it difficult for people to survive, increasing poverty, the cost of land, without the due economic compensation that photographic tourism promises to bring. Conservation is a burden on people, this is the landscape that needs to be changed. The outbreak of canine distemper (shared/associated with other pathogens) is a cyclical phenomenon – arising from natural causes + stress experienced by lions in the affected geographic area. The susceptibility is not uniformly and geographically so broad – this is what has been seen over the last few decades. Despite being a worrying phenomenon, it has not yet dropped the population of Asian lions and is unlikely to do so, due to the expansion of the territorial range of lions that have been rising in recent years over a vast territory of approximately three million hectares, within of the state of Gujarat. This expansion mediated and encouraged by the Government of this State is its effective and assertive response against disease outbreaks and other stressors. Expanding the range of lions to small reserves, where there is no ecological sustainability or even genetic improvement, is not conservation. It is the same result obtained by two or three theme parks that have them and promote their tourist ownership. The best chance for these lions to remain alive and free to roam in the long term is in the state of Gujarat itself.
8 cheetahs to arrive this week: Chartered flight with vets, chopper ride
EIGHT AFRICAN cheetahs — five females and three males — will board a chartered Boeing 747 cargo flight from the Namibian capital of Windhoek on September 16, and arrive at the Jaipur airport the next morning, after an over 10-hour-long flight, the environment ministry said on Monday. From Jaipur, they will take a 42-minute helicopter ride to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh where a temporary helipad has been constructed. The cheetahs are between four and six years old. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said all preparations for the inter-country translocation of the cheetahs were complete. “Sheopur district (where Kuno is located) has similar rainfall levels, temperatures, altitude and conditions as that of South Africa and Namibia. I recently visited the park to oversee the arrangements. The aim behind the translocation is not only to be able to re-introduce the cheetah in India – it was declared extinct in 1952 – thereby restoring India’s natural heritage, but also to develop a cheetah metapopulation that will help in the global conservation of the animal,” he said. “There are now approximately 7,000 cheetahs globally – South Africa has the largest population at about 4,500. We expect to receive the next batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa soon,’’ he said. Over the next five years, the Indian government will acquire 8-10 cheetahs annually to establish a breeding cheetah metapopulation of 35-40 in the country, said officials. India was to get 20 African cheetahs this year – eight from Namibia and 12 from South Africa. According to ministry officials, while all the preparations from the Indian side were over, the South African government's assent was still awaited. Like their counterparts in Namibia, the cheetahs to be sent from South Africa have already been prepped for the journey, including extensive health check-ups and blood work for detection of diseases, vaccination, and radio collaring. For the cheetahs arriving from Namibia later this week, the plan is not to tranquilise them for the journey. They will be fed two-three days before they begin the journey, and will be accompanied in the aircraft by a team of three veterinarians – an Indian, a Namibian and a South African. The cheetahs will be transported in cages measuring 114 cm X 118 cm X 84 cm. On September 17, when the cheetahs will be released at the Kuno National Park by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they will first be kept in a quarantine enclosure, measuring 1,500 square metres, for about a month to not only ensure their adaptation to the new environment, but to also check that they are not carrying any diseases. They will be monitored closely during this period, after which they will be released into a bigger enclosure of 6 square kilometres for the remaining period that it takes them to adapt. “In this bigger enclosure, where they will have prey and be able to hunt, we will closely monitor not only their health, but also how they are adapting to Kuno, hunting, feeding, excreta etc. Once this is found to be satisfactory, they will be released into the 740 sq km Kuno National Park,’’ said S P Yadav, member secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority. While the park itself is 740 sq km, the cheetahs will have access to the larger forested and semi-forested region outside the park of 5,000 sq km, said officials. Of the 25 villages that were in the area earlier, 24 were relocated in preparation for the translocation of the Asiatic Lion from Gir National Park in Gujarat. Only one village, Bagcha, with a population of 148 families, remains on the periphery of the park, and its relocation process is underway, said the minister. “Historically, the cheetah has not been known to attack humans. So we don't anticipate animal-human conflict in the area. However, they have been known to attack livestock, and we have informed the villagers of this and established cheetah-mitras who will operate as watch-and-ward staff. The cattle and feral dogs in the area have also been vaccinated,’’ said Yadav. He said the Madhya Pradesh government has already put in place an “adequate compensation’’ for any possible conflict between the cheetahs and villagers. The park itself has a healthy prey base of chital, nilgai, chowsingha, langur, peafowl, hares and feral cattle. Yadav said the cheetah has a wide range of habitats – from semi-arid grassland to coastal scrubs, wooded Savanna, Montane habitat, snow deserts and rugged semi-arid. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/8-cheetahs-to-arrive-this-week-chartered-flight-with-vets-chopper-ride-8147350/
Well, 8 cheetahs (3 male and 5 female) are finally in Kuno.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pics-cheetahs-explore-new-home-after-being-released-by-pm-modi-3352733
Calm cheetahs adapting well to new home in Kuno
It was a bright, sunny afternoon in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, with the mercury touching 36 degrees Celsius on Sunday. A four-year-old cheetah, christened Asha by Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon her release into Kuno National Park on Saturday, sat under the shade of a tree in her enclosure. She was named Asha — Hindi for hope — as the country, after a decades-long effort, brought the animals back to the country, in a bid to restore a species that was declared extinct in 1952 due to poaching and shrinking of grasslands. “The female cheetah was captured in a trap cage on the farm of a Namibian businessman neighbouring CCF’s in July 2022. She was released on CCF property but was again caught in August. On September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given the gift of naming this cheetah in honour of his birthday. PM Modi chose the name Asha, which means hope,” said Susan Yannetti, coordinator, Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). Asha is among the eight cheetahs that arrived in India when the much-watched intercontinental relocation culminated with PM Modi letting three of the felines into the park on Saturday. The other five were released by officials and other dignitaries. Travelling over 8,000kmfrom Namibia, the big cats entered their 15x30 metre enclosure at Kuno at around 11am on Saturday. In the 24 hours after that, six cheetahs were acclimatising themselves to their new environment, roaming around the enclosure, alert to every sound, and making sounds when they sensed something new. But the other two were a little shy and were taking time to settle down. “The cheetahs slept through their 12-hour journey from Namibia, so they slept very little on Saturday night. They were feeling the new woodland ambience and hearing every sound. They snap to attention at every little sound, but they are calm. Two cheetahs are taking time to adjust but they are healthy,” Wildlife Institute of India dean YV Jhala said. The felines were fed three kg of buffalo meat each, certified by veterinarians, ataround 4pm on Saturday, and given water by their handlers, said Jhala. “A medical check-up was done and all the cheetahs are healthy, and adapting to the new home very well,” said Laurie Marker, executive director of Cheetah Conservation Fund. Marker accompanied the animals from Namibia to India. Apart from the four-year-old Asha, there is a two-year-old female, another four-year-old, and two others, both aged five. There are three males at the park — two brothers from the same litter aged 5.5 years, and the third, who is 4.5 years old. “The two brothers, Freddie and Elton, are relaxing together. They cuddled up in the newly grown marble grass. They were also seen checking the fencing,” said the official cited above. The female cheetahs were named Siyaya, Tblisi, Sasha and Savanaha, by CCF, while the third male cheetah was named Oban. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) secretary SP Yadav said: “All cheetahs are doing well as expected by the experts. They are healthy and calm. So far, experts haven’t found anything that raises concern.” The eight big cats will spend a month in quarantine at the enclosure before they are shifted to a six square km enclosed patch of land within the national park where they will stay for up to four months before being released in the wild. The government of India signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Namibia on July 20 for biodiversity conservation, with a focus on the conservation and restoration of the cheetah. CCF coordinated the translocation project on behalf of the Namibian government. “Two experts from CCF, Eli Walker and Bart Balli will stay in India with the cheetahs to manage them and support the park staff. They are training the officials at the park on how to use all tools that researchers and cheetah managers use in conservation release projects,” an official from CCF said. Walker and Balli, along with Indian officials including WII dean Jhala, are observing the cheetahs round the clock. This will continue for 48 hours to see if there are behavioural changes or any kind of uneasiness among the animals, the CCF official cited above said. The animals were radio-collared before their departure from Namibia to help in observing them. The cheetah was completely wiped out from India due to excessive hunting and shrinking grasslands, its natural habitat. The last cheetah was killed in Koria district of Chhattisgarh in 1947, and the species was declared extinct in 1952. Efforts to bring the animal – the smallest of the big cats and the fastest land mammal – have been decades in the making, beginning with Indira Gandhi in the 1970s but always running into international diplomatic or legal hurdles, until now. While some experts have expressed concerns about the project, Marker said the African Cheetahs will adapt easily to the Indian habitat. “India has been thinking about translocation since the cheetah was declared extinct. A plan was put together in 2009 by a team of specialists from the government and forestry department. Adaptation will be challenging and we all will need to work hard in our monitoring efforts. If conducted properly this will work. Cheetahs are adaptable. But there will be disappointments, we realize that and hope the world will understand as well,” Laurie told news agency ANI. Twelve more cheetahs are expected to translocated from South Africa next month. Over the next five years, the government plans to bring around 50 cheetahs under the project. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/calm-cheetahs-adapting-well-to-new-home-in-kuno-101663523962101.html?fbclid=IwAR0s0HOtYxU6qNc4uMQ4q2hPs9eQfpdet0vSgIXbjhWd_nSqMWAXzXwJIF0 
This feat of reintroduction is surely one of the greatest feats of India. I hope that it is a conservation success as was the case of tiger reintroduction in Philibit and Sariska.
The cheetahs do not seem stressed and seem playful and the food is well served in their quarantine enclosure. I am hopeful that things will continue to be good. Cheetahs Brought From Africa Savour First Meal In India, Appear Playful Veterinarians and experts from India and Namibia are keeping a close watch on the cheetahs in the quarantine enclosure where they will be kept for a month.  *This image is copyright of its original author [b]Sheopur (MP): [/b] Siblings Freddy and Alton, two of the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia, were seen frolicking in their quarantine enclosure in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on Monday, a day after all of them were served food for the first time since their arrival in India. Sisters Savannah and Sasha also looked cheerful. The four other cheetahs - Obaan, Asha, Cibili, Saisa - also appeared in good spirits, KNP officials said. The eight felines - five female and three male and aged between 30 to 66 months- were on Sunday evening served food for the first time since their arrival from the African country to India on Saturday, an official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday released these cheetahs brought from Namibia, 8,000 km away from their native place, into a quarantine enclosure at the KNP in Sheopur district as part of a project to revive the population of the animal which became extinct in India in 1952. On Sunday evening, each of the eight cheetahs was served two kg of buffalo meat. Only one of them ate less, the official said, adding that there was nothing concerning about it. The cheetahs looked cheerful and active on Monday, said the official who is part of the team keeping a close watch on the movements of the animals. These animals are believed to take food once in three days, he added. The new guests are still observing the new surroundings with curiosity, the official said. On Monday morning, Freddy and Alton were seen running in a playful mood and drinking water often in their enclosure. *This image is copyright of its original author [color=var(--txt-b)]The new guests are still observing the new surroundings with curiosity, an official said. [/color] [b]Sheopur (MP): [/b] Siblings Freddy and Alton, two of the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia, were seen frolicking in their quarantine enclosure in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on Monday, a day after all of them were served food for the first time since their arrival in India. Sisters Savannah and Sasha also looked cheerful. The four other cheetahs - Obaan, Asha, Cibili, Saisa - also appeared in good spirits, KNP officials said. The eight felines - five female and three male and aged between 30 to 66 months- were on Sunday evening served food for the first time since their arrival from the African country to India on Saturday, an official said. Pause
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday released these cheetahs brought from Namibia, 8,000 km away from their native place, into a quarantine enclosure at the KNP in Sheopur district as part of a project to revive the population of the animal which became extinct in India in 1952. On Sunday evening, each of the eight cheetahs was served two kg of buffalo meat. Only one of them ate less, the official said, adding that there was nothing concerning about it. The cheetahs looked cheerful and active on Monday, said the official who is part of the team keeping a close watch on the movements of the animals. These animals are believed to take food once in three days, he added. The new guests are still observing the new surroundings with curiosity, the official said. On Monday morning, Freddy and Alton were seen running in a playful mood and drinking water often in their enclosure. The eight cheetahs were given their names in Namibia. "Right now we don't have plans to rename them," the official said. At the time of their release on Saturday, the big cats looked hesitant. But the initial hesitation appeared to be gradually fading on Monday, he said. Asked about the Hindi name of a female cheetah 'Asha', which means hope, he said it seemed an Indian official might have written it on its cage while the big cats were being brought here. Veterinarians and experts from India and Namibia are keeping a close watch on the cheetahs in the quarantine enclosure where they will be kept for a month, he added. In his speech after releasing cheetahs, PM Modi had on Saturday cautioned that they need time to get used to their new surroundings before people can see them in the wild. "Cheetahs are our guests; we should give them a few months to make Kuno National Park their home," he said. The KNP, spread over an area of 750 sq km, is situated on the northern side of Vindhyachal mountains.
@Rishi
Would like to know how the rural population feels about this introduction? Is public opinion broadly in favor of the project? Opinions to the contrary by conservation professionals are strongly consistent with the magnitude of the challenge in establishing this first cheetah population. We know that only with 4/5 reserves India can infer on a real scale what was obtained from these periodic translocations, with some sustainability when moving these populations among themselves. In the face of the likely translocation, there is an enormous fear among people still living on the outskirts of Kuno that they will be relocated. This is a point that does not concern me much, but for the well-being of the cheetahs, these people can also become their tormentors. In South Africa, the lack of space and the conflict was resolved with the placement of fences, assuming all the benefits provided by the private sector (there are 69 game reserves managing a metapopulation of 500 cheetahs, an absolute success). At first these cheetahs will disperse haphazardly and in the short term many setbacks will come. Do you believe that we will have clean and periodic information about the progress of this project? As India does not intend to use fences on its reserves, it would be predictive to think that expanding habitat is a good reason to do so? As a species, cheetahs are a biological asset of India. The Country have the right to try to bring them back, and the duty to assume the responsibilities that will come. Many professionals have not yet realized that conservation actions begin when species are still numerically stable in nature. The exposure this introduction will bring will strengthen efforts for a wide variety of habitat enhancement and expansion situations, such as trying to unite Kuno Palpur/Ranthambore/Madav. I appreciate hearing your opinion.
Wild wild best: Kuno Palpur's success may bring cheetahs back to Gujarat
If all goes well with the plan to reintroduce African cheetahs in Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh, the big cats may also be seen running in the wild in Gujarat. The state government has decided to send a formal request to the Union government to reintroduce the wild cats here. The cheetah, known as the fastest land animal, had become extinct in Gujarat more than 80 years ago. It was last sighted in Prabhas Patan in 1940. Key government sources, close to the development, said, "We are keen on getting cheetahs to Gujarat as it will boost tourism significantly, and it will also benefit the local ecosystem." The Centre has plans to reintroduce the cheetahs in more states. The climate in large parts of the country, barring high altitudes, coasts, and northeast regions, is considered suitable for the wild cat. Hence, several other sites had been considered for the project a decade ago. Ten sites across MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh were surveyed between 2010 and 2012. Based on prey density, the number of competing predators and climatic variables, Kuno Palpur fits the bill the best, according to the Wildlife Institute of India and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). A government source said, "In Gujarat, Banni grasslands in Kutch was found to be a suitable site. The state government will shortly send a formal request to the Ministry of Forest and Environment and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority." A senior MoEFCC official confirmed that Gujarat was considered in the original plan. "Once we get a formal proposal from the state, we will decide on the matter. This largely depends on the success of the Kuno Palpur project. If even one cheetah breeds successfully, the Centre and NTCA will consider the idea to reintroduce the big cats elsewhere." Extensive hunting led to the extinction of cheetahs in India in 1952, said officials. "In Gujarat, the last cheetah was shot by police constable Pirmohmed Najarmohmed in 1940. The animal was 4 feet and three inches tall and 6 feet and nine and a half inches long," said an official. The official said that Kuno Palpur currently can sustain 21 cheetahs. "Once the population establishes itself within the sanctuary, dispersers will colonize the landscape and potentially hold 36 individuals. Once we receive the proposal, we will direct the state to commence work. Simultaneously, we will commence restorative activities in Nauradehi, and Gandhisagar protected areas in MP." He added, "The Banni site is the most promising area in Gujarat, and it can accommodate 20 to 30 cheetahs. If the state government agrees, 10 cheetahs will be brought from Africa and put in semi-wild enclosures. Once acclimatized, they will be released into the wild to hunt animals. Gujarat will have to count the ungulates first. In 2009, Banni had a prey base of 14 animals per sq km, and cheetahs need a prey base of around 30 animals per sq km." https://m.timesofindia.com/city/ahmedabad/wild-wild-best-kunos-success-may-bring-cheetahs-back-to-gujarat/articleshow/94464725.cms |
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