India signs MoU with Namibia for reintroduction of cheetahs, first batch to arrive in August

Vibha Sharma

New Delhi, July 20

India and Namibia have signed an MoU to reintroduce fastest terrestrial species—the cheetah—in the Kuno-Palpur National Park in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district, expectedly around August 15.

“Completing 75 glorious years of Independence with restoring the fastest terrestrial flagship species, the cheetah, in India, will rekindle the ecological dynamics of the landscape,” Environment minister Bhupender Yadav said after the signing of the MoU focusing on wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilsation between the two countries.

“Cheetah as a flagship species will lead to greater focus on the status of dry-open forest/savanna ecosystems and the need to restore and manage them. Cheetah reintroduction would also greatly enhance local community livelihoods through eco-tourism prospects in the long term,” he added.

Environment ministry officials said the first batch comprising four male and as many female big cats will arrive from Namibia in August. Meanwhile, talks are also on with South Africa for more of the species.

While the current carrying capacity for Kuno is a maximum of 21 cheetahs, once restored the larger landscape can hold about 36 of the species. The carrying capacity can be further enhanced by including the remaining part of the Kuno Wildlife Division (1,280 sq km) through prey restoration, according to officials.

Cheetah is the only large carnivore to have gone extinct in India, primarily due to hunting and habitat loss. Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Korea, Madhya Pradesh, is said to have killed the last three recorded cheetahs in India in 1947. In 1952, the government officially declared the species extinct in the country.

The main goal of Cheetah Reintroduction Project (which has been around for a while now) is to establish viable a metapopulation that allows the animal to perform its functional role as a top predator and provides space for expansion within its historical range, thereby contributing to its global conservation efforts, officials said.

Among large carnivores, the conflict with human interest is lowest for cheetahs as they are not a threat to humans and usually do not attack large livestock.

The action plan in Kuno has been developed in compliance with IUCN guidelines and considering site assessment, prey density, current carrying capacity among other criteria. Financial and administrative support to the programme will be provided through NTCA.

Participation of Government and corporate agencies through CSR will be encouraged for additional funding at the state and Central level.

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), national and international carnivore/cheetah experts/agencies will provide technical and knowledge support. Cheetah managers and biologists from Africa will also be invited to impart training of Indian counterparts. Outreach and awareness programmes will be conducted to encourage participation of local villagers.

Public awareness campaigns are also underway for local communities with a local mascot named “Chintu Cheetah”.