At the recent BRICS Summit, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he is willing to donate more cheetahs to India because the country is able to take care of ‘big cats’. Though no date has been announced about the arrival of more African cheetahs, wildlife conservationists are concerned whether India is fully prepared to ensure the survival of the cheetahs and the long-term ecological, economic, and societal consequences of their release in India.
Wildlife conservationist Ravi Chellam, CEO, Metastring Foundation and coordinator, Biodiversity Collaborative, begins with terminology. “Do not call this ‘translocation’ or ‘reintroduction’. Translocation is defined as capturing and moving a free-ranging animal (or group of animals) from one ‘wild’ location for release in another ‘wild’ location. India never had African cheetahs, hence terming it reintroduction is incorrect as mentioned by the Supreme Court in its Order dated 28.01.2020. The release of African cheetahs in India should be called ‘introduction’,” says Chellam who is a member of an expert committee on translocation of Asiatic lions.
While Chellam agrees that potentially such attempts at moving wild animals across long distances could fail due to a variety of reasons, including circumstances linked to the effects of chronic stress during the establishment phase, he adds that the translocation of animals for conservation purposes requires planning, a detailed analysis of the habitat, and consideration of the long-term prospects for survival of the released animals.
Translocation success relies on four major factors: the number of founders (which depends on post-release survival and dispersal as well as the number released), reproduction rate, survival rate, and genetic variability. Chellam, insists, that such projects require strong scientific foundations and meticulous planning.
“The basic essential is quality habitat in sufficient quantity, in other words, spatial requirements cannot be compromised. There is no fixed formula applicable to all the big cats. The cheetah is a very low-density species — we need to think of required space for a viable self-sustaining population, which would be in the region of 4,000 sq. km of quality habitat. India, currently, does not have the required extent of habitat for establishing a viable population of free-ranging wild cheetahs. Currently, all the imported cheetahs have been kept in prolonged captivity which is highly detrimental to their health and diminishes their chances of survival once released in the wild. Constraints of space are by far the biggest and most fundamental challenge that the cheetahs will eventually face when they are released and allowed to range freely,” Chellam adds.
Considering there are less than 8,000 cheetahs in the world, it is extremely important to rule out any obvious mistakes. For this, the input of wildlife biologists and experts is of primary importance. “What we need is in-depth consultations with experienced wildlife biologists who have several decades of experience working with cheetahs in the wild. Including these cheetah experts as part of the Action Plan can be the first step to getting it right,” says Chellam, who opines that it will be a good idea to pause the further import of cheetahs until India is adequately prepared.
Finding animals in the wild can be the proverbial needle in the haystack and that’s why conservationists now rely on radio telemetry to keep track of the animal. However, in the case of African cheetahs in Kuno National Park, the collars could be a cause for lesions which led to wounds and maggot infestation. Chellam says, radio telemetry is a valuable tool in ecological research for tracking animal movements and behaviour to aid conservation efforts but he insists that careful considerations are necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of the animals involved.
More than anything else, Chellam says, what we need is a more inclusive and participatory approach in our conservation programmes, especially in the cheetah project. “We need to go back to the drawing board, identify and secure the required extent of habitats, assess and monitor these habitats for at least a couple of years to ensure their suitability. And, of course, there should be greater transparency and accountability from all stakeholders,” Chellam adds.
It may be recalled that in February this year, South Africa had sent 12 cheetahs to India which was in addition to eight that were brought from Namibia in September 2022. While nine cheetahs (including three cubs born in India) have died, there are 15 surviving cheetahs in Kuno National Park, including a female cub. In January this year, India and South Africa had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which South Africa would give India 12 cheetahs every year for the next decade.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
