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India to get 12 cheetahs from South Africa: Project Cheetah
India to get 12 cheetahs from South Africa: Project Cheetah
Project Cheetah was the subject of an agreement that India and South Africa signed in January 2023. India will receive 12 cheetahs from South Africa in accordance with the arrangement. These cheetahs will be released at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park. Eight cheetahs were introduced to the park in September 2022. From Namibia, these eight were brought. They were a gift to India from Namibia. This was the world’s first intercontinental cheetah transfer.
What exactly is the plan?
The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. To reintroduce large cats to the nation, Project Cheetah, also known as the Action Plan for the Introduction of Cheetah in India, was started. India signed an agreement with South Africa to achieve this. In accordance with this arrangement, South Africa will send 12 cheetahs per year for the following eight to ten years.
Plan stakeholders
The Forestry Department, South African organizations, the National Biodiversity Institute, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, and others are involved in the project’s implementation. The Cheetahs are flown by the Indian Air Force from South Africa.
Concerns regarding Cheetahs
India originally intended to introduce African cheetahs. This, however, was against IUCN reintroduction guidelines. According to the IUCN, introducing exotic species will result in the extinction of native species. India continued with Asiatic cheetahs after that. India once had Asiatic Cheetahs, but they are now extinct. Asiatic cheetahs are therefore not an exotic species in the country.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
Who killed last Cheetah in India?
The last Asiatic cheetahs in India, three males from the same litter, were shot in 1948—while they were sitting together at night—by Maharajah Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Surguja State, Madhya Pradesh.
What is cheetah project in India?
The introduction of Cheetah in India is being done under Project Cheetah, the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project. Cheetahs will help restore open forest and grassland ecosystems in India.
What is the aim of project cheetah?
The aim of the project is to grow healthy meta-populations in India that allow the cheetah to execute its functional role as a top predator.
