Reintroducing african cheetahs into Indian ecosystems

Syllabus:

GS 3:

  • Conservation of wildlife species
  • Conservation initiatives and acts.

Why in the News?

Project Cheetah, aimed at reintroducing African cheetahs into India, has faced setbacks such as prolonged captivity and cheetah fatalities. These challenges raise concerns about habitat suitability, scientific management, and community support for the project’s long-term success.

Overview of Project Cheetah

  • Aim: Project Cheetah seeks to reintroduce African cheetahs into Indian ecosystems, focusing on both species conservation and restoration of degraded savanna habitats.
  • Conservation: The project aims to revitalize ecosystems by positioning the cheetah as a flagship species, improving habitat quality and promoting biodiversity.
  • Eco-tourism: By boosting eco-tourism, the project aims to support local economies, providing long-term socio-economic benefits to communities around the cheetah habitats.
  • Timeline: The cheetah population is expected to reach Kuno National Park’s carrying capacity in 15 years, expanding to the broader landscape within 30-40 years.
  • Commitment: Long-term support, including financial and administrative, is essential for the project’s success over the next 25 years, requiring collaboration among multiple government bodies.

Challenges in Captivity and Release Delays

  • Release Plans: CAP proposed releasing male cheetahs after 1-2 months, but delays have resulted in prolonged captivity, disrupting the cheetahs’ adaptation process.
  • Extended Quarantine: Cheetahs faced a much longer quarantine period than anticipated, with confinement lasting nearly a year, which hampers their fitness for release.
  • Captivity Risks: Prolonged confinement negatively impacts the cheetahs’ health, making them unfit for reintroduction into the wild, counteracting Project Cheetah’s core objectives.
  • Management Concerns: Delays in release seem to stem from a belief that cheetah mortality can be minimized in captivity, but this approach is proving counterproductive.
  • Namibian Policy: Namibia’s policy restricts captivity for wild carnivores to three months, after which prolonged confinement either leads to permanent captivity or euthanasia.

Cheetah Deaths and Setbacks

  • Fatalities: Several cheetahs have died due to pre-existing conditions and mismanagement, including renal failure, hypokalaemia, and injuries from conflicts during mating.
  • Cub Mortality: Heatstroke caused the death of three cubs born to a female cheetah, underscoring the difficulties of raising cheetahs in Indian environmental conditions.
  • Health Issues: Cheetahs developed ailments such as dermatitis and myiasis, allegedly caused by physiological issues, further highlighting adaptation problems in India’s climate.
  • Mating Risks: One female cheetah was killed during a mating attempt in captivity, showing that mismanagement has directly contributed to unnecessary fatalities.
  • Recent Deaths: Additional cheetahs have succumbed to conditions like septicaemia and drowning, raising concerns about the project’s ability to maintain healthy, free-ranging populations.

Habitat and Release Sites

  • Kuno National Park: Kuno was selected after surveying multiple sites for its favorable habitat and prey availability, but cheetahs remain mostly confined within enclosures.
  • Fenced Area: Only 80 square kilometers of Kuno has been fenced off for cheetah release, limiting the scope of the habitat available to the animals.
  • Delayed Release: The original plan to release cheetahs into Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary by late 2023 has been postponed, pushing the timeline to 2024 or 2025.
  • Additional Sites: Gujarat’s Banni grasslands and Madhya Pradesh’s Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary are being explored as potential captive breeding and release sites.
  • Expansion Plans: As more suitable habitats are identified, the project envisions gradually expanding the cheetah population across multiple landscapes for greater success.

Long-Term Success and Sunset Clause

  • Success Criteria: Short-term goals include establishing home ranges, successful reproduction, and generating eco-tourism revenue, but prolonged captivity is hampering these efforts.
  • Long-Term Objectives: The ultimate goal is to establish a stable metapopulation of cheetahs that supports ecosystem balance and sustainable conservation efforts.
  • Habitat Quality: Improved habitat quality and prey diversity are crucial to the long-term success of the project, requiring continuous management and restoration efforts.
  • Eco-Tourism Impact: Local economies are expected to benefit from sustainable conservation, but current challenges threaten the project’s ability to deliver promised economic gains.
  • Viability Concerns: Long-term success hinges on securing 4,000 to 8,000 square kilometers of high-quality habitat, which remains a significant challenge for the project’s future.

Conservation Projects for Wild Cats in India

1. Project Tiger (1973)

  • Launched to protect tigers and their habitats, this is one of the most successful conservation initiatives in India, aimed at preventing poaching and habitat loss.

2. Project Snow Leopard (2009)

  • Focuses on conserving snow leopards and their habitat in the Himalayan and trans-Himalayan regions, involving local communities in wildlife management and protection.

3. Project Lion (2020)

  • Aims at conserving the Asiatic lion population in Gujarat’s Gir Forest and expanding their range to other suitable habitats for greater genetic diversity.

4. Project Cheetah (2022)

  • Launched to reintroduce African cheetahs into Indian ecosystems, this project aims to restore savanna habitats and strengthen biodiversity, despite initial setbacks.

5. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Initiatives

  • Focuses on curbing poaching and illegal wildlife trade of big cats like tigers, leopards, and snow leopards through intelligence gathering and enforcement.

Way Forward

  1. Improved Release Strategies: Implementing timely release of cheetahs into the wild, as originally planned, will reduce the risks of captivity-induced health issues and improve their fitness for survival.
  2. Enhanced Habitat Restoration: Focus on restoring and expanding suitable habitats like Kuno National Park by improving prey availability and ecosystem balance to support a stable cheetah population.
  3. Capacity Building: Strengthen collaboration between governmental and conservation bodies to ensure that sufficient technical and financial resources are available for the long-term management of the cheetahs.
  4. Scientific Monitoring: Regular monitoring and adaptive management, based on real-time data and expert guidance, will help address emerging challenges such as health risks and behavioral adaptation issues.
  5. Community Involvement: Increase local community participation by promoting eco-tourism and sustainable livelihoods, which can incentivize them to support conservation efforts and contribute to long-term project success.
  6. Global Expertise: Leverage international expertise from countries like Namibia and South Africa, which have successful conservation programs, to refine management practices and ensure cheetah welfare.

Conclusion

Project Cheetah faces critical challenges, but with effective management, habitat restoration, and community involvement, it has the potential to succeed in reintroducing cheetahs and reviving degraded ecosystems in India.

Source: Indian Express

Mains Practice Question

Discuss the key challenges faced by Project Cheetah in India and suggest potential solutions to ensure its long-term success in conserving African cheetahs and restoring savanna habitats.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/15359-2/