Snap judgment: On India’s Project Cheetah

May 11, 2023

Context:

It is almost three months since South Africa sent a batch of 12 cheetahs to India and two have already died.

Aim of the Project Cheetah: To establish a sustainable population of about 35 cheetahs in the next decade by bringing in a few every year from Africa.

Reasons of Deaths:

It is implicit that there will be many deaths among the animals if one factors in both the natural lifespan of the cat as well as the challenges of adapting to Indian conditions.
Daksha, one of the female cheetahs, died from injuries following a violent mating attempt by two males (the predator’s behaviour).

India’s exemplary commitment to wildlife conservation:

The arrival of the cheetahs in India was far from an ordinary event.
The successful transportation of the animals to India involved extensive government planning starting from 2009, Supreme Court hearings, negotiations with two countries, and complex logistics.
The Prime Minister also played a personal role in the effort, and government departments made significant efforts to promote it.

Rate of Success:

Ordinarily, the success of wildlife breeding programmes must be measured over longer intervals.
It is yet premature to weigh in on the success of the cheetah translocation programme.

Criticism:

Kuno National Park is inadequate to host 20 cheetahs and that some ought to be in other sanctuaries.
The existing batch of animals lived far too long in captivity (in preparation for the translocation) and thus were excessively stressed and more vulnerable.

Need of the hour:

Consultations with experts in Namibia and South Africa with actual experience in managing cheetahs.
Focus on cultural traditions that minimise poaching and incentivise local communities to be protective of wildcats.

However, there also ought to be clearly defined criteria with timelines that project managers must adhere to, to decide if course correction is warranted.

News Source: The Hindu