Guwahati: A new batch of 8-10 cheetahs are set to arrive in India by the end of December under its ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction Project, likely from Botswana. Official talks are underway with Namibia, Botswana and Kenya.
A source familiar with the negotiations said, “We expect the next batch of 8-10 cheetahs to arrive by the end of 2025”.
As part of the efforts, Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister, Environment, Forest & Climate Change during the sidelines of a COP15 event in Zimbabwe recently met his Namibian counterpart Indeleni Daniel and discussed ways to deepen ties in cheetah conservation and wetland protection.
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What is Project Cheetah?
Project Cheetah was launched in September 17, 2022 by Indian PM Narendra Modi on his birthday. It is an ambitious initiative by the government of India to reintroduce cheetahs into the wild after their extinction in the country.
Project Cheetah involves importing cheetahs from African countries and establishing them in suitable habitats within India, particularly in national parks and wildlife reserves. It aims at maintaining the ecosystem balance and also to promote biodiversity apart from conservation efforts and protecting natural habitats, contributing to India’s conservation legacy.
Project Cheetah started with the release of eight (8) cheetahs from Namibia into Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park. Later in February 2023, twelve (12) more cheetahs from South Africa were brought.
Survival rates:
Of the twenty (20) translocated cheetahs, eleven (11) have survived- three (3) from Namibia and eight (8) from South Africa whereas the others died due to various reasons, including renal conditions, cardio-pulmonary failure and injuries etc.
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Moreover the project has seen encouraging reproductive success, with 26 cubs born in India, out of which sixteen (16) survived. There are currently twenty-seven (27) cheetahs in India, fifteen (15) of which are free-ranging in the wild. Apart from Kuno, three (3) cheetahs have been released into Gandhisagar sanctuary this year.
Officials involved with Project Cheetah stated that, “ India’s ambitious move to reintroduce cheetahs into its wild have been a “big success” and the programme has successfully navigated the initial hiccups and is contributing to India’s wildlife conservation policy.
