NEW DELHI: India has renewed its interest in bringing a fresh batch of cheetahs from Kenya, a country in the northern hemisphere with seasonal patterns similar to that of India, officials said.
The move comes after India faced hiccups in conservation of cheetahs brought from southern hemisphere countries, such as South Africa and Namibia as a few of the big cats died.
India has agreed to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kenya. A draft of the MoU has been sent to the legal and treaties division of the Ministry of External Affairs for vetting.
Sourcing 8-10 cheetahs from Kenya was put on hold after that country changed stance in February this year. “We were ready to sign an MoU, but a last-minute change of mind on the Kenyan side led to putting the process on hold,” said a senior officer from the team that visited Kenya in August.
Earlier, Kenyan delegates visited Kuno National Park and showed satisfaction over veterinary and conservation arrangements. “They want provisions in the MoU about long-term support from our premier institutes like Wildlife Institute of India, which include regular training of forest staff and setting up of institutions to enhance conservation efforts in Kenya,” the officer said.
“We are hopeful that this time both the nations will work to establish a viable agreement and new cheetahs would arrive by the end of the year or early next year at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in MP.”
Moreover, the new government in South Africa showed less interest in transferring another batch of cheetahs, though they have 16 more big cats ready in captivity, he said.
Experts say the high mortality rate of cheetahs in India adds uncertainty to the cheetah project. The Madhya Pradesh government has already fenced off 80 sq km of Gandhi Sagar sanctuary and created enclosures. Efforts to improve the habitat, including enhancing grasslands and increasing prey populations, are underway, officials said.
As of today, Kuno has 25 cheetahs, including 12 cubs. So far, seven adult cheetahs and five cubs died between March 2023 and August 2024. Recently, the death of a free-ranging adult cheetah, Pawan, due to “drowning” created a controversy over India’s conservation plan, as experts say a cheetah can swim and cannot drown.
Bringing cheetahs from southern hemisphere to northern hemisphere led to disruptions in their biological clocks. Cheetahs from the southern hemisphere develop a winter hair coat on their shoulders and necks. In Kuno, the winter season coincided with heat, humidity, and rainfall.
“So this time, we are keen to bring felines from the northern hemisphere,” said Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj, ADGF (Project Tiger) and Member Secretary of NTCA.