Reckless pursuit must end: BJP MP Varun Gandhi raises concerns over India's cheetah import plan

With the central government revealing plans to import more cheetahs from South Africa, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday said India should focus on conserving its own endangered species and habitats.

"Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine of them to die in a foreign land is not just cruelty; it's an appalling display of negligence," he wrote on X.

In an interview with PTI, Project Cheetah head SP Yadav said the next batch of cheetahs would be imported from South Africa and introduced into Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is expected to be ready to welcome the spotted felines by the end of the year.

Gandhi said, "We should focus on conserving our own endangered species and habitats rather than contributing to the suffering of these magnificent creatures. This reckless pursuit of exotic animals must end immediately, and we should prioritise the welfare of our native wildlife instead."

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi ridiculed the announcement, saying, "After the wildly successful project of Cheetas from Namibia (9 dead already)lo & behold Cheetas from South Africa (sic)."

Cartoonist Satish Acharya urged the government to 'spare the cheetahs', a sentiment echoed by many X users.

Many, however, backed the move.

"I fully support this. People should stop emotionally venting. India is attempting something very difficult i.e. reintroducing cheetahs to the wild and must take all efforts necessary," wrote one user on X.

Project Cheetah, India's ambitious initiative to reintroduce cheetahs after their extinction in the country, marks its first anniversary on Sunday.  The initiative began on September 17 last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a group of cheetahs brought from Namibia into an enclosure at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. Since then, the project has been closely watched by conservationists and experts worldwide.

Twenty cheetahs were imported from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno in two batches - one in September last year and the second in February.  Since March, six of these adult cheetahs have died due to various reasons. In May, three of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah succumbed to extreme heat. The remaining cub is being raised under human care for future wilding.