New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday said the Project Cheetah has been “very successful” despite some unfortunate deaths due to varying climatic conditions. He said the birth of cubs in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, the first habitat for African cheetahs in India, has contributed to the success of the project.
“The Cheetah Project has been very successful. We brought 20 cheetahs…. Unfortunately, some losses occurred due to climate conditions. We plan to bring more cheetahs to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary,” Yadav said at the launch of a photography exhibition by wildlife photographer Aarzoo Khurana.
The minister added that forest rangers in Kuno initially became anxious when cheetahs entered their range, but he asked them not to worry and to work with full dedication as such efforts take time to yield results.
As part of the first-ever intercontinental translocation of big cats, a total of 20 cheetahs have so far been brought to Kuno — eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023.
Since their arrival in India, eight adult cheetahs — three females and five males — have died.
Seventeen cubs have been born in India, with 12 surviving, bringing the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno to 24. Currently, all the animals are in enclosures.
Due to differences in circadian rhythms between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, some cheetahs developed thick winter coats during the Indian summer and monsoon seasons last year, anticipating the African winter (June to September). Three of these cheetahs — a Namibian female and two South African males — died after wounds under their winter coats, on their backs and necks, became infested with maggots, leading to blood infections.
PTI has learned that an official delegation will soon visit South Africa for ground-level negotiations to bring in another batch of cheetahs. Negotiations are also underway with Kenya, with a memorandum of understanding in the final stages.
The “Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India” talks about bringing 12-14 cheetahs annually from South Africa, Namibia and other African countries over five years to establish a founder population. PTI GVS RC
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