Younger, human-habituated cheetahs ideal for Indian relocation

International experts from Project Cheetah recommend younger, human-habituated cheetahs for relocation to India, following key learnings from the initial experience at Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park. The recommendation was made in a recent status report submitted to the government. According to the report, younger cheetahs are better suited to adjust to new environments, offer a higher survival rate, exhibit less aggression, and offer more considerable conservation value due to their longer post-release lifespan. Furthermore, their familiarity with humans and management vehicles simplifies veterinary interventions and health monitoring. These qualities could potentially boost the appeal of parks like Kuno for tourists, where two cheetah batches from Namibia and South Africa have already been introduced.
Ten young cheetahs between 19 to 36 months of age have been shortlisted for relocation to India by early 2024. The experts acknowledged the unfortunate cheetah mortalities at Kuno National Park but maintained they fell within the normal parameters for wild cheetah reintroduction.
The report noted the historical challenges faced during cheetah reintroduction attempts in South Africa, where nine out of ten attempts failed, leading to the establishment of best practices. It cautioned that India’s Project Cheetah could face similar growing pains. Experts predict that India’s initial population of 20 cheetahs will further decline to approximately five to seven individuals before population recovery begins, with the first viable litters likely to be born in 2024.
The report also highlighted the importance of ‘supermoms’ – highly successful, fertile female cheetahs – for the survival of the relocated population. Out of seven relocated females, only one is predicted to be a ‘supermom’.
Experts also addressed the issue of cheetahs developing thick fur coats in anticipation of African winters, which seems fatal in India’s wet and hot conditions. They suggested long-acting medicine as a treatment to prevent further deaths. The experts also recommended at least 50 additional founder cheetahs be relocated from South Africa over the next decade for demographic and genetic viability.
The report called for the identification of alternative reintroduction sites, arguing that Kuno may be a ‘sink reserve’, an environment less conducive to species survival. It suggested two additional reintroduction sites of over 50 square kilometres each, preferably fenced, by the end of 2024.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) told the Supreme Court that the cheetah mortalities, while unfortunate, are not overly alarming due to generally low survival rates. They assured that cheetah deaths were not caused by any inherent unsuitability at Kuno.
The NTCA is preparing the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh for the introduction of additional cheetahs, stating that the Mukundra Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan is currently unsuitable.