NEW DELHI: South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit that concluded recently, said that his country is willing to send more cheetahs to India, as India was taking care of its feline population.
“We were pleased to donate cheetahs to India as you are a country that takes care of big cats,” President Ramaphosa told Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that he was in the land of cheetahs.
South Africa had sent 12 cheetahs to India in February this year. This was in addition to the eight big cats that were brought in from Namibia in November 2022.
Out of this, nine cheetahs (including three cubs) that were released in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh have died. There are 15 surviving cheetahs in Kuno, including a female cub. Most of the deaths occurred due to bacterial infection, maggots, renal failure, injuries and heat.
Meanwhile, according to an MoU signed between India and South Africa on January 26 this year, South Africa would facilitate the translocation of 100 cheetahs to India over the next decade. “The plan is to translocate 12 cheetahs every year from South Africa, for the next decade. The terms of the MoU on cooperation in the reintroduction of cheetahs will be reviewed every five years,” the agreement states.
The death of the cheetahs has ignited speculation on whether Kuno National Park was the wrong choice for the cheetahs, as it doesn’t suit the terrain the animals belong to.
“Kuno was initially considered for translocation of lions from Gir, but this proposal was shelved and then came the cheetahs. The total area in Kuno and the moist weather are not conducive to the cheetahs whose natural habitat is dry,” said a source. There have been talks of relocating the surviving cheetahs to Mukundra Hills in Rajasthan. However, since the Mukundra Hills house tigers, there are concerns about a potential clash between Project Cheetah and Project Tiger.
Meanwhile, PM Modi in Johannesburg had spoken about the Big Cat Alliance and suggested cooperation on the issue of big cats. “Several species of big cats are found in the member nations of BRICS. Under the International Big Cat Alliance, BRICS nations can come together for their protection,” Modi had said.
India launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) on April 9 in Mysuru for the conservation of seven big cats — which include Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma. The alliance aims to reach out to 97 countries covering the natural habitats of these big cats.