India will witness the presence of cheetahs within its borders after a span of 70 years. The Government of India has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to import 8 cheetahs from Namibia and 12 from South Africa. The process will involve two separate shipments, bringing a total of 8 cheetahs to India. The estimated cost of the entire project is around 75 crore rupees. As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), India's leading oil company, IOC, will contribute Rs 50.22 crore towards this endeavor.

However, the precise expenditure for the project remains uncertain. When asked about the cost in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey stated that an allocation of Rs 38.70 crore has been made.

Kuno is Preparing for Cheetahs arrival

The Kuno sanctuary, located near Gwalior in Sheopur, has been chosen as the site for this initiative. All necessary arrangements have been completed to receive the first batch of cheetahs on September 17th.

Additionally, India will also acquire 12 cheetahs from South Africa. Although an agreement has been signed between the two countries, the final agreement is yet to be executed.

When Indian Cheetah went extinct?

India witnessed its last sighting of a cheetah in 1952, when it was tragically hunted in Chhattisgarh. Now, nearly seven decades later, efforts are underway to reintroduce cheetahs into India. The primary objective of this endeavor is to promote wildlife conservation and ensure sustainable biodiversity utilization.

This initiative holds the distinction of being the world's first intercontinental transfer of cheetahs from the wild. A century ago, the Kuno Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh served as a natural habitat for cheetahs, and now foreign cheetahs are being prepared for resettlement in the same region.

Why Kuno Sanctuary?

A panel, appointed by the Supreme Court, was given the responsibility of identifying suitable locations for cheetahs. After conducting surveys of 10 sites between 2010 and 2012, the panel determined that the Kuno Sanctuary would serve as an ideal habitat for cheetahs.

The selection of Kuno Sanctuary was influenced by various factors, one of which was the prior investment made by the government to establish a home for Asiatic lions in the same area. To facilitate this, highly secure semi-captive enclosures spanning an area of 500 hectares were constructed. Additionally, approximately 24 villages were relocated as part of this project.

Kuno is all set to welcome Cheetahs

The necessary arrangements for the arrival of cheetahs have been finalized. A specially designed van has been prepared for this purpose. The cheetahs will be transported from Gwalior airport in secure cages. To ensure their adjustment to the new environment, the male and female cheetahs will be initially housed separately for a period of two months. It is important to note that the males and females will originate from different countries, thus avoiding any blood relations between them. This precautionary measure is implemented to mitigate the risk of genetic diseases that can arise when cheetahs with shared bloodlines form relationships. Hence, cheetahs with distinct blood genes from Namibia and South Africa are being brought to India.

Objective

According to a statement released by the Environment Ministry, the objective of the Cheetah Translocation Project is to establish a sustainable meta-population of cheetahs in India. This initiative aims to enable cheetahs to fulfill their crucial role as apex predators while also creating opportunities for their population to expand within their historical habitat range. By doing so, the project aims to make a valuable contribution to global conservation efforts for the cheetah species.
 

Questions being raised
 

In 2013, the Supreme Court issued an order to relocate Asiatic Lions to Kuno Sanctuary. Now, after a span of 15 years, the government is planning to introduce cheetahs from Africa. However, the cheetah population being brought, which could reach a maximum of 21 individuals, is not self-sustaining. Some speculate that this move to bring cheetahs from Africa is a diversion from the focus on resettling Asiatic lions.

To gain insights into cheetah management and their natural environment, specialists from India were sent to Namibia. Similarly, a team from Namibia visited the Kuno Sanctuary and expressed satisfaction with the atmosphere and arrangements in place.

Nevertheless, the Madhya Pradesh government lacks funds for the ongoing maintenance of this species. To support the project, Indian Oil Corporation has contributed a sum of 50 crores as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. Additionally, the Madhya Pradesh Tiger Foundation is in the process of securing 8-10 crores from the fund.

It is anticipated that Prime Minister Modi will officially announce the arrival of African cheetahs to India on August 15, during his address from the Red Fort.