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Cheetah Reintroduction in India
Cheetah Reintroduction in India
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Cheetah Reintroduction in India
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5 of 8 cheetahs now hunting, eating on own
BHOPAL: Tbilisi, one of five Namibian female cheetahs settling down at Kuno National Park, made its first successful hunt on Sunday and sat down for a well-earned meal as a treat on International Cheetah Day. Moved from quarantine into a large hunting enclosure last week, Tbilisi took down a chital in seconds on Sunday morning. The successful hunt added more zing to the celebration of Cheetah Day — 12th for the world and India’s first since the translocation of the cheetahs. Experts have noted how well the Namibian cheetahs are adapting to life on Indian soil. Five of the eight are now hunting and eating on their own. https://m.timesofindia.com/india/5-of-8-cheetahs-now-hunting-eating-on-own/amp_articleshow/95987825.cms
What happened to the 12 cheetah from South Africa that were supposed to be sent?
They have been quarantined since July… losing their predatory instincts and good physical shape, as they are in small pens. Three in Phinda and nine in Rooiberg; something is missing in the cooperation agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) between the parties. Who knows, the good will is just to collect the signatures, but the terms of the agreement with South Africa are unique, a whole bilateral understanding needs to be well framed and the South African professionals have strength in their technical opinion. Possibly for different reasons, both countries are buying time as none of the eight Namibian cheetahs are actually released into the greater Kuno landscape.
As time is misused, the effects on the general health of “enclosed animals” can be significantly measured in future adaptive success or failure. The stakes were very high, and it seems evident to me that the challenge was not realistically envisaged. If the eight cheetahs are being poorly prepared, what to say about the twelve that still don't have a schedule on Indian soil. Everything is very slow, the original introduction plan seems to have been abandoned as it was not implemented in practice and communication with the external public is deficient; it is a show of caution and vacillating actions that tends to follow this December. It is undeniable that as time progresses, less apt for survival are.
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.
Project Cheetah at Kuno warms up for born-in-India stage
BHOPAL: A male cheetah may soon be released into an enclosure with three females to seed the next step of this ambitious project - a born-in-India cheetah, the first in nearly 80 years. Dr Laurie Marker, the executive director of Cheetah Conservation Fund, said they are considering putting boys in with girls to jump start breeding. However, which one of the three males - Elton, Freddie or Oban - will go first has not been decided yet, said sources. Sources said that the project cheetah team is now working on a strategy for the potential breeding. Experts believe conditions for procreating are more favourable in the bomas right now than in the park. Union minister for environment, forest and climate change, Bhupender Yadav, held a review meeting at Kuno National Park with a team of researchers, scientists and forest officials on Sunday. The vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning an ecological wrong into ecological harmony is taking shape. All eight cheetahs are adapting well," the minister tweeted. However, cheetah breeding comes with its own complications. An article in the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) says that only 20% of cheetahs breed successfully in captivity, partly due to reduced genetic diversity. It also suggests that cheetahs have poor sperm motility and increased infant mortality. "Males produce better quality sperm when they are away from the public eye or have fewer care-givers, and also when they are grouped with other males. The later research finding was informed by observations in the wild, of male cheetahs often living with their brothers. On the other hand, female cheetahs are more successful at breeding when they have been transferred away from the facility where they were born, mimicking what would happen for them in the wild," reads an article by Meredith Hanel of CCF. Hanel says that unlike house cats, female cheetahs do not make it obvious when they are ready to mate and they may not go into heat for several months. A cheetah, named 'Asha' by PM Modi, was pregnant when she was translocated from Namibia to Kuno, but lost the embryos, perhaps due to stress, as per CCF. Medical examination immediately after her capture in the wild had shown signs of embryos though her pregnancy status remained unclear even after being brought to Kuno in the absence of testing facilities and protocols. The suspense regarding Asha's pregnancy ended with the completion of her gestation period. TNN https://m.timesofindia.com/city/bhopal/project-cheetah-at-kuno-warms-up-for-born-in-india-stage/amp_articleshow/96214387.cms
Releasing pregnant female(s) in the Kuno-free area complicates their adaptation. Cheetahs, like any other feline, regulate their fertility cycle according to broad environmental and health conditions. Only after they feel fully acclimated will nature make its reproductive call.
I'll give you an example: Dr. Byron du Preez in his lion/leopard study at the Bubye Valley Conservancy (Zimbabwe), verified and exposed in his academic thesis that, due to the large number of lions (more than 500 spread over an area of 374,000 hectares), female leopards were delaying their reproductive cycle . His conclusion was that due to the difficulty of females in keeping their cubs alive until adulthood in an environment highly impacted by lions, it was slowing down and inhibiting their natural reproductive cycle – some healthy females had been without reproduction for years. In India there are already African cheetahs in zoos and similar enterprises. Is there any difference in birthing cheetah cubs in these locations compared to birthing in a fenced area within Kuno? I've been warning, as time passes, the willingness to release seems to decrease. Those responsible for the project in India are creating obstacles, difficulties and, now, “a facilitator” to keep them inside the fences longer. That's the only way they continue to have control and keep the preliminary round in the spotlight. There is no plausible logic in facilitating reproduction within the acclimatization area; it will be another stressful factor for the females that are fertilized to stay alive after being released (adaptation is not enough, you will have to quickly find a suitable place to give birth and hide the pups, within the framework of greater survival to which all will be subjected). “Who knows, the situation could be even worse: waiting for the pregnant females to have their young in the acclimatization area and, for reasons to be announced later, all of them will be kept for an indefinite time in the fenced area."
12 cheetahs may be brought from South Africa on Jan 20
A total of 12 cheetahs are likely to come to India from South Africa on January 20 under the cheetah translocation project, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of eight cheetahs from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park on September 17. According to the ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India’ prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India, around 12-14 wild cheetahs that are ideal for establishing a new cheetah population would be imported from South Africa, Namibia, and other African countries as a founder stock for five years initially and then as required by the programme. A South African official associated with the project said, the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has given his in-principle approval and a final MoU will be finalized in a week. “Union forest director general Chandra Prakash Goyal, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) member secretary SP Yadav and other officials of the forest ministry will leave for South Africa from Delhi on January 13 to bring the cheetahs,” an official said requesting anonymity. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/12-cheetahs-may-be-brought-from-south-africa-on-jan-20-101673116314749-amp.html?fbclid=IwAR042cQVay30-5mCYNSsoeBV9JHuf7bTz1MmtnG7ZgiBSPgUOxwlvPtYI_E
12 cheetahs from South Africa may arrive in February
Speculations are running rife about the arrival of 12 more cheetahs to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, this time from South Africa. News outlets reported they will come to India on Republic Day (January 26, 2023). But sources in South Africa have refuted this claim. The memorandum of understanding between the two countries has still not been signed, they added. The Madhya Pradesh forest and wildlife department is making preparations for the arrival of the big cats, but the expert team from India is yet to leave for South Africa to oversee the inter-continental translocation. Three of the 12 cheetahs have been housed in the Phinda quarantine boma (small enclosure) in KwaZulu-Natal province, experts had earlier told news agency Press Trust of India (PTI). Nine others have been kept in the Rooiberg quarantine boma in Limpopo Province since July 15, 2022, they had informed. “We are expecting the 12 South African cheetahs — seven males and five females — to arrive sometime in February,” said JS Chouhan, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Madhya Pradesh. They are making new quarantine bomasfor the new cheetahs, he further told Down To Earth (DTE). “They will be kept in quarantine for one month following protocol and then, will be released into the 5 square kilometre area for soft release into the wild,” he added. Due to the long quarantine some cheetahs would have to be replaced with new ones, Vincent van der Merwe, manager, Cheetah Metapopulation, The Metapopulation Initiative, a wildlife conservation programme by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, had previously told DTE. He, however, could not divulge any new information regarding the development. The eight cheetahs that were brought to Kuno on September 17, 2022 have been released into 5 square kilometre enclosure and are adapting well to the new environment, according to official sources. They had acclimatised to India’s environment far better than expected and since then have made several kills of bluebulls, sambar and cheetals, Chouhan had told DTE. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-&-biodiversity/amp/12-cheetahs-from-south-africa-may-arrive-in-february-87246?fbclid=IwAR3Y2ovepWqXhYVEX8iCMPQuUX-pGX1VFEL4Cg5y2-r9z7hkMhOouP050OY&mibextid=Zxz2cZ
Hi @Ovie11
As you are aware of the facts, I would like to know your opinion on this iconic Introduction Project; in part on the decisions taken and progress of the Project up to the present moment. An invitation. Note: Invitation open to all interested parties. After reading and following all this outcome of events, many certainly have good points to bring.
A team of veterinarians from Bhopal led by Dr Atul Gupta rushed to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday after Sasha, a female cheetah fell ill due to renal infection, a senior forest officer said.
The principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) JS Chauhan and Kuno National Park field director Uttam Kumar Sharma, however, denied any serious medical complications. “It was a routine process and all cheetahs are doing well,” said Sharma. Preliminary assessments of Sasha showed symptoms of dehydration and renal disease. A senior officer, who didn’t wish to be named, said, “Sasha was looking ill. The veterinarian team checked her and found the symptoms of dehydration and renal infection. She was administered fluid and now she is doing well.” Sasha was one of the eight cheetahs translocated to India from Namibia on September 17 last year. All cheetahs under the world’s first intercontinental translocation project were released at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. A team of experts are monitoring the activities of cheetahs. As many as 12 cheetahs will also be translocated soon from South Africa. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bhopal-news/medical-team-rush-to-kuno-national-park-after-female-cheetah-falls-ill-101674643210980-amp.html?fbclid=IwAR3HPEDqxET_WPjRE4KLfz07HzOuDxQcUefmlv_f0hkqleTGTjlJ_EAlQ4M
The Memorandum of Understanding between New Delhi and Pretoria to bring 12 cheetahs to India from South Africa was finally signed after a long delay, sources have confirmed to Down To Earth.
These cheetahs will join the eight big cats from Namibia that arrived at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district on September 17, 2022. The dates of their arrival are still uncertain. The Madhya Pradesh Forest department had hoped the cheetahs would arrive by February, but the latest speculations suggest it will take at least until the first week of March. Sources in India said the Indian delegation will leave for South Africa sometime in the second week of February to bring the 12 big cats. A source from South Africa, on condition of anonymity, confirmed the MoU between the two countries has been signed. However, neither of the two governments has released an official statement yet. The MoU got clearance by the South African Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Barbara Creecy in the last week of November. But President Cyril Ramaphosa only cleared it somewhere around January 24 for both countries to sign. Meanwhile, the MP forest and wildlife department is making preparations for the arrival of big cats. Three of the 12 cheetahs have been housed in the Phinda quarantine boma (small enclosure) in KwaZulu-Natal province. The other nine have been in the Rooiberg quarantine boma in Limpopo Province since July 15, 2022. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of MP J S Chouhan told DTE they are making new quarantine bomas for the new cheetahs. “They will be kept in quarantine for one month, as per protocol and then will be released into the five square kilometre area for soft release into the wild,” Chouhan had earlier told DTE. In earlier conversations with DTE, Vincent van der Merwe, manager for Cheetah Metapopulation, The Metapopulation Initiative, had said some cheetahs would have to be replaced with new ones due to the long quarantine. However, he could not divulge any further information regarding the same. The eight cheetahs — five females and three males — that were released in Kuno were also released into the five sq km area and are adapting well to the new environment. Chouhan had told DTE that they had acclimatised to India’s environment far better than expected and, since then, have made several kills of nilgai, sambar and cheetals. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-&-biodiversity/amp/finally-pact-to-bring-12-cheetahs-from-south-africa-signed-87320?fbclid=IwAR3MVFzQ3gltLedZmxSEc-djUwg-oxRH9R7wLOptpUFR_M_ZGFmqn1f2Q5U&mibextid=S66gvF
India To Get More Than 100 Cheetahs From South Africa
South Africa said Thursday that it had reached a deal to transfer more than 100 cheetahs to India as part of an ambitious project to reintroduce the spotted cats in the south Asian country. The environment ministry said an initial batch of 12 cheetahs would be flown to India next month, after eight cheetahs arrived from Namibia last September. "The plan is to translocate a further 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years" to help establish a "viable and secure cheetah population," the ministry said in a statement. India was once home to the Asiatic cheetah but the animal was declared extinct there by 1952, primarily because of habitat loss and deaths at the hands of hunters seeking their distinctive spotted hides. Efforts to reintroduce the animals gathered pace in 2020 when India's Supreme Court ruled that African cheetahs, a different subspecies, could be brought into the country at a "carefully chosen location" on an experimental basis. Negotiations for the deal with South Africa were long in the making, with the first cheetahs initially expected to be flown to India last August. They have been living in quarantine in the meantime. "The cheetahs in quarantine... are all still doing well," said Adrian Tordiffe, a veterinary wildlife specialist at the University of Pretoria who is involved in the project. Officials said the previous transfer from Namibia marked the first intercontinental relocation of cheetahs, the planet's fastest land animal. The Namibian specimens were released at Kuno National Park, a wildlife sanctuary 320 kilometres (200 miles) south of New Delhi, selected for its abundant prey and grasslands. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-to-get-more-than-100-cheetahs-from-south-africa-3727569/amp/1?fbclid=IwAR3GtNe_MI0oNqcBWW1fBoI5j_hefkh5yb9RxHwl7usjKUGTTJ6sStrPMJw
BHOPAL: The eight Namibian cheetahs
that have made themselves at home in MP’s Kuno National Park will get the company of 12 more from South Africa this Valentine's Day. The SA cheetahs - seven males and five females - come from different genetic backgrounds, sources told TOI. This has been done to prevent potential for inbreeding and ensure that a genetically diverse population is established. The SA dozen will be flown to Gwalior on February 13 and taken to Kuno on 14th on IAF helicopters. "We have selected the best possible cheetahs for successful reintroduction into India. All 12 South African cheetahs are wild born, have grown up amongst competing predators -- including lion, leopard and hyena -- and are aware of the dangers that these competing predators present. They are predator-savvy, " Vincent van der Merwe, manager of the Cheetah Metapopulation Project for The Metapopulation Initiative of South Africa, told TOI. What's more, he said, they are fully capable hunters and are accustomed to tourism vehicles, which gives them high tourism value. Some experts are concerned that the long quarantine period these 12 cheetahs had to endure due to the delay in signing the MoU may have a negative impact. These are wild-born cheetahs that were forced to spend 8% of their lives in quarantine, losing fitness. Asked about the effects of the long quarantine period, Van der Merwe said it has the potential to negatively impact prospects for reintroduction success. "The cheetahs would also have lost considerable fitness, condition and vigilance during this 6-month period," he said. Plan to translocate a dozen cheetahs annually for next 8 to 10 years Van der Merwe pointed out that the chosen dozen from SA have spent six months of their 8-10-year lifespan in quarantine, waiting for government approvals for their relocation. "The reproductive ability of the females may be compromised as fertility is reduced if females only start breeding later in life, or go through long periods without breeding. This has the potential to compromise their successful establishment in Kuno," he added. The plan is to translocate a dozen cheetahs annually for the next eight to 10 years, say sources. "Restoring the cheetah population is a priority for India and it will have vital and far-reaching conservation consequences, which would aim to achieve a number of ecological objectives, including re-establishing the role of cheetah within their historical range in India and enhancing the livelihood options and economies of the local communities," says an official release. "The initiative to reintroduce cheetah to a former range state following the local extinction of this iconic species due to overhunting and loss of habitat in the last century is being carried out following the request received from the Government of India," a release by the ministry of forests and environment reads. This multi-disciplinary international programme is being coordinated by the department of forestry, fisheries and environment (DFFE) in collaboration with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South African National Parks (SANParks), the Cheetah Range Expansion Project, and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) in South Africa together with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The MoU facilitates cooperation between the parties to establish a viable and secure cheetah population in India, promote conservation and ensure that expertise is shared and exchanged, and capacity built to promote cheetah conservation. This includes human-wildlife conflict resolution, capture and translocation of wildlife and community participation in conservation in the two countries. In terms of the MoU, the countries will collaborate and exchange best practices in large carnivore conservation through the transfer of technology, training of professionals in management, policy, and science, and to establish a bilateral custodianship arrangement for cheetah translocated between the two countries. The terms of the MoU will be reviewed every five years to ensure it remains relevant. https://m.timesofindia.com/city/bhopal/12-south-african-cheetahs-to-arrive-in-kuno-on-valentines-day/amp_articleshow/97387884.cms?fbclid=IwAR0ZDmgGbv9dsULeEPpnxspAd0vBh_nMfcdOHC9FwyVF2eYMdY9QOMipR_o&mibextid=tejx2t |
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