Scientist behind Cheetah project and tiger census shown the door

A two-year extension given to a veteran wildlife biologist for helming India’s ambitious scheme to introduce African cheetah in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno national park has abruptly been cut days before the most crucial phase of the project – releasing the animals in the wild.

Y V Jhala, dean at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun was given a two-year extension in February 2022 presumably for coordinating and implementing the cheetah project. But on Tuesday, Jhala who was a member of the team that drafted the Cheetah Action Plan was suddenly informed that his tenure had been curtailed.

“The extension period (of Jhala’s) is curtailed and restricted to one year i.e. up to February 28, 2023. The vacancy arising, as a result, shall be filled up with the ongoing process of recruitment of scientists,” said an official order.

A few months back he was dropped from a task force that was formed to monitor the well-being of the cheetahs that came from Namibia and South Africa.

While the ministry didn’t provide any explanation on why Jhala’s tenure was suddenly terminated, senior Congress leader and former Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh hinted that the ouster was probably linked to his support for shifting of lions from Gir forest to Kuno in accordance with India’s original conservation plan as approved by the Supreme Court.

“The man who was key to cheetah reintroduction has been shown the door. YV Jhala was given a 2 year extension at the Wildlife Institute of India last year but that’s now been curtailed. He’s been a strong advocate of a 2nd home for Gir Lion outside Gujarat and has paid the price,” Ramesh tweeted.

The Kuno Palpur national park was originally prepared as a second home for Asiatic lions that are currently found only in Gir. But despite a Supreme Court order on the shift of lions, there is no such move by the government.

Contacted by DH, Jhala refused to comment on his exit, observing that it was the government's prerogative. An official told ANI that Project Cheetah was a project of the union government in association with the Madhya Pradesh government and the WII, rather than any individual-driven scheme. The official also stressed that he was on extension.

The scientist who joined the WII in 1993 was also closely involved with the scientific tiger census currently followed by the Union Environment Ministry. The new tiger census method was developed by a group of scientists including Jhala in the wake of the Sariska fiasco 17 years back when it was realised that the tiger reserve in Rajasthan is bereft of any tiger despite official claims.