Project Cheetah

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Overview of Project Cheetah (Objectives, Features, etc.)
• Difference between African Cheetah and Asiatic Cheetah
• Current Status of Project Cheetah (Progress, Positives, Negatives, Challenges, Suggestions, etc.)

About Project Cheetah:

Launched to reintroduce the African sub-species of cheetahs in India, Project Cheetah marked its two-year milestone on September 17.

The project has two main objectives:

• • To establish a stable breeding population of cheetahs in central India.
  • To utilize cheetahs as an umbrella species to restore open ecosystems, including scrubs, savannahs, grasslands, and degraded forests.

This initiative represents the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.

• • The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952, making it the only large mammalian species to have gone extinct since India’s independence.

Funding: The project is financed by Project Tiger and the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority (CAMPA).

While there have been some minor successes, substantial challenges persist, prompting questions about the project’s long-term viability.

African Cheetah vs Asiatic Cheetah

Cheetah’s Physical Characteristics:

Here are some key points about the cheetah that are relevant from a UPSC exam perspective:

• The cheetah holds the title of the fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds between 93 and 98 km/h (58 to 61 mph).
• Classified as a big cat, it is part of the Felidae family.
• Cheetahs have a small, rounded head, a slender body, and a coat covered in round spots.
• They are known for their long, thin legs and extended tails.

Status of Cheetah Reintroduction:

• The project began with the translocation of African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, in two batches of eight and twelve cheetahs.
• Initially, the cheetahs were housed in soft-release enclosures known as bomas, where they adapted to their new environment and hunted live prey. This led to the birth of 17 cubs within the cohort.
• However, concerns have arisen regarding their survival rate.
• Of the 20 translocated cheetahs, eight (40%) have died due to various factors, including injuries sustained during mating and infections from tick infestations under their radio collars.
• Out of the 17 cubs born, five (29%) have also died.
• Currently, 24 cheetahs (12 adults and 12 cubs) remain, with plans to translocate the next group of 6-8 cheetahs to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Challenges in Releasing Cheetahs into the Wild:

• Despite early successes in breeding and acclimatization, the project encounters significant challenges in fully releasing the cheetahs into their natural habitat.
• Although two cheetahs, Pawan and Veera, were released into the wild, Pawan’s recent death—reported to be due to drowning—has raised concerns about their ability to establish habitats independently.
• Following Pawan’s death, all surviving cheetahs have been confined to enclosures, which has drawn criticism from conservation scientists regarding the delay in their release and a lack of transparency.
• Wildlife biologists have noted that Namibia’s policy recommends against keeping large wild carnivores in captivity for over three months. If not released within this timeframe, the animals should be either euthanized or placed in permanent captivity.
• The prolonged confinement of the cheetahs goes against the Cheetah Action Plan, which mandated a 4–5-week quarantine followed by a brief acclimatization period.

Prey Scarcity:

• One major hurdle for Project Cheetah is the insufficient prey base.
• Recent reports indicate a decrease in chital density, the primary prey for both cheetahs and leopards, from 23.43 animals per square kilometer in 2021 to 17.5 in 2024, resulting in a significant prey deficit.
• With an approximate population of 6,700 chital, there are concerns that this number is inadequate to support the 91 leopards and 12 adult cheetahs in Kuno National Park, which would require around 23,600 prey animals annually for leopards and 3,120 for cheetahs.
• This scarcity necessitates immediate action, including prey augmentation at Kuno and Gandhi Sagar, the next site for cheetah translocation.
• Experts argue that the rapid decline in prey density reflects poor project management, particularly given that Kuno was selected for its abundant prey base.

Way Forward / Suggestions:

• Free-ranging cheetahs have frequently ventured far beyond Kuno’s boundaries, crossing state lines and entering human habitats.
• Analysis of their movements using radio collars indicates significant travel, with Veera averaging 5.82 km per day and often entering territorial forests outside the national park.
• These findings highlight the necessity for a comprehensive interstate landscape conservation plan.
• The future of Project Cheetah relies on the conservation of the interstate Kuno-Gandhi Sagar landscape, which encompasses protected areas, territorial forests, and several districts in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• Achieving a stable population of 60-70 cheetahs in this area will require significant efforts in prey management, establishing interstate coordination mechanisms, and ensuring the protection of open ecosystems.

Conclusion:

• Project Cheetah has made some strides in reintroducing cheetahs to India, but it faces numerous obstacles, including prey scarcity, delays in releases, and the need for extensive landscape conservation.
• Moving forward, effective management, transparency, and enhanced conservation initiatives will be vital to ensuring the long-term success of the project and the sustainable revival of cheetah populations in India.

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