Project Cheetah or Project Vanity?

There are many questions and apprehensions about the introduction of cheetahs into India more than 75 years after they became extinct in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight cheetahs brought in from Namibia into the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh as part of an attempt to build up a native population of the graceful big cats in the coming years. The Prime Minister said the cheetahs are the nation’s guests and they will be well taken care of. Conservation efforts are always welcome as they attempt to preserve or restore biological diversity and balance. There are worldwide efforts in this direction in the case of many species. The reintroduction of the grey wolf into Yellowstone Park in the US in 1995 is considered to be a success. Like the cheetah, it had also gone extinct in the early 20th century, mainly because of hunting.

But the challenges are different for different species in different environments. Conservationists are divided on the viability of and even the need to bring the cheetahs back into the country. It is a Rs 100 crore project which will involve the import of some more big cats. The country will be proud that it can provide another home for endangered animals. There are many benefits, including some related to tourism. But the grounds for opposition to the project are also important. It is stated that the African cheetahs will not find the conditions in Kuno very conducive. Many have argued that Kuno Park does not have enough space for them and they will not have an adequate prey base. There is even a view that they may be vulnerable to attacks from other animals like leopards. It is also claimed that the cheetah population in Kuno may not be viable even in 40 years.

Many experts believe that the attempt to restore the cheetahs is a vanity project and the efforts should be for the conservation of many other species which are very vulnerable. There is a strong view that some lions in Gujarat’s Gir forests should have been relocated to Kuno Park, instead of the cheetahs. Kuno had been earmarked for that too. The Gir forests cannot support the number of lions it has now. The concentration of a single species in one area is not advisable as the animals become vulnerable to infections and other risks. There was a Supreme Court order in 2013 for the relocation of some lions from Gir within six months. But Gujarat, under Modi as Chief Minister and since, has refused to part with them. The cheetah project is an experiment and will be watched keenly with hope for its success.