India completed one year of its Cheetah reintroduction project on September 17. The decision to “reintroduce” the locally extinct cheetah had created excitement. Six of the 20 cheetahs, translocated from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno died due to various reasons, and the project drew a lot of criticism from wildlife experts.
S P Yadav, Member Secretary of The National Tiger Conservation Authority and Head of the Cheetah Project, spoke about the journey of completing one year and the challenges ahead.
Excerpts below:
The India Cheetah project marked its one-year anniversary on September 17, 2023. What is its current status?
One must realise that this marks the first intercontinental wild-to-wild translocation of any big carnivores. Encouragingly, the cheetahs are adapting rapidly, establishing their own home ranges, and no unnatural deaths have been reported thus far. All cheetahs, including captive-reared cheetahs from Namibia, are adapting well. They have begun hunting in the wild, targeting not only their favourite prey, the Cheetal, but also other species such as the four-horned antelope (Chausingha), Neelgai, wild hair, and more.
Even more impressively, the cheetahs have established their ranges. Two of them ventured out of the forest to explore areas up to Sheopur National Park and the Uttar Pradesh borders, covering a range of approximately 200 km. We had to tranquillize one to bring it back to the forest after realizing that managing and protecting them at such large distances wasn't feasible. Like other carnivores, cheetahs also establish territories, but no territorial fights have been reported. These are often overlooked realities.
According to the Cheetah Action Plan, if more than 50% of the cheetahs survived after the first year, the project would be considered on the right track. Out of the 20 cheetahs introduced, 14 have survived, with no unnatural deaths due to hunting, poaching, electrocution, or poisoning. We find this project to be quite successful, with no doubt about its success from a scientific perspective. It has achieved remarkable milestones.
Are there any examples of successful cheetah reintroduction in the wild?
South Africa provides a successful example. Cheetahs were on the brink of extinction in South Africa in the 1940s. They initiated a cheetah reintroduction program in the 1960s, importing cheetahs from neighbouring Namibia. It took 20 years to master the art of reintroducing cheetahs, and although they introduced 279 cheetahs, only 79 survived in the first 20 years. It remains one of the successful international programs for conserving big carnivores.
India has a strong track record in conserving big cats, boasting the largest populations of tigers, and leopards and being home to Asiatic lions and snow leopards. We were also the first to successfully reintroduce tigers to Sariska and Panna tiger reserves. The South African President has even recognized our success and is willing to provide more cheetahs in the coming years.
Cheetahs are known to inhabit grasslands, but Kuno is said to have poor-quality grassland. How is it now?
The last cheetah in India was not found in grassland but in the Sal tree forest of Sarguja-Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh. Cheetahs are adaptable and can be found in various environments, including coastal areas, mountainous regions, scrub forests, snow areas, and more. The selection of the Kuno site was based on scientific studies conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and even African experts found Kuno to be the best habitat for reintroducing cheetahs, superior to South Africa's habitat.
Research reports suggesting a lower availability of prey species and a reduced holding capacity for cheetahs in Kuno are outdated. Since we received permission from the Supreme Court in 2019, followed by the preparation of an action plan in 2020 and the introduction of cheetahs in 2022, the situation has changed significantly. Habitat viability studies conducted by WII scientists and African experts indicated that Kuno can sustain up to 20 cheetahs based on prey availability and the overall area.
South Africa's Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy, has written to our Prime Minister, expressing satisfaction and offering support for offsite and onsite veterinary care, as well as capacity-building for our biologists and field staff in Kuno.
In the past, some experts had proposed that an abundant leopard population in Kuno could potentially result in conflicts with cheetahs. What is the current status of this situation?
These claims from poorly informed experts have been proven unfounded. After a year, there have been no conflicts or negative interactions between leopards and cheetahs. In fact, one video recording shows positive interactions, with leopards fleeing upon encountering cheetahs. Cheetahs in African landscapes often act as escapists and struggle to protect their kills from hyenas, leopards, or lions. However, in Kuno, the opposite has occurred. One video footage even captures a hyena attempting to steal a cheetah's kill, but the cheetah dominates, causing the hyena to retreat. This suggests that they are adapting well to their new environment.
What are the key lessons for cheetah conservationists from this project?
The recent deaths of three cheetahs have provided crucial lessons. Neither we nor our Namibian experts anticipated the impact of different climate conditions on two continents on cheetahs. Cheetahs transferred from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere, or vice versa, experienced disruptions in their biological clocks, which are tuned to their respective climates.
Cheetahs typically develop a winter hair coat on their shoulders and necks during winter. However, in Kuno, the winter season coincided with heat, humidity, and rainfall, leading to problems. Tick infections over minor injuries created serious health issues. Ticks and flies laid eggs over injuries, leading to maggot infestations, further injuring the cheetahs and exposing their blood vessels to bacterial infections, resulting in septicemia and death. We are now more attuned to their climate-specific parasitic load and other potential issues and will select cheetahs that have not developed winter coats.
What is the next site for cheetah reintroduction?
Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh will be the next site for cheetah reintroduction. The state government has already fenced off 80 sq km and created several enclosures. They plan to complete their preparations by December, with the next batch of cheetahs expected to arrive in 2024. Efforts to improve the habitat, including enhancing grasslands and increasing prey populations, are underway.
Kuno was initially meant for the relocation of Asiatic lions, which were previously found only in Gir.
What is the status of the lion relocation program?
Initially, we aimed to shift the lion population to eliminate geographical isolation and protect them from potential contagious disease outbreaks. However, lions have naturally expanded outside the Gir forest. They have colonized many new areas beyond Gir, including Girnar Hills and Barda Sanctuary, located 200 km away. As a result, their geographical isolation has already ended, and there is no need for further intervention in their relocation.
Why has the cheetah project faced criticism from wildlife conservationists?
Criticism from wildlife conservationists largely stems from misinformation and unscientific claims made by so-called experts. Many of these experts lack experience with cheetahs and have spread baseless theories about conflicts between leopards and cheetahs, the quality of grasslands, and holding capacity. We have addressed these concerns by providing regular project updates and extensive information on our websites.