With sourcing of cheetahs on agenda, a four-member delegation of the Union Environment Ministry and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is in Kenya to discuss finalisation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on wildlife conservation. Under the ambitious Project Cheetah, which saw the intercontinental translocation of African cheetahs to Madhya Pradesh, the government’s aim is to introduce eight to 14 cheetahs each year, subject to availability. A draft of the MoU was first exchanged and discussed by officials of the two countries in May when a six-member Kenyan delegation visited Delhi as well as Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. A key component of the MoU is “promotion and exchange of relevant wildlife species”, indicating the discussions the countries have undertaken on potential import of cheetahs from Kenya and discussions that are likely to happen on the issue during the visit of the Indian delegation. India has been exploring the option of sourcing cheetahs from Kenya for Project Cheetah as it is believed that they would adapt better to India’s tropical climate, as part of the African country lies in the northern hemisphere. Cheetahs sourced from southern hemisphere countries — Namibia and South Africa — had developed winter coats during Indian monsoon, and the dampness led to fatal infections under their radio collars. Sources aware of the developments said that Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has greenlit the MoU prior to the official visit. “The visit is aimed at advancing talks on partnerships with Kenya on the issue of wildlife conservation and the MoU outlines the actionable issues of the partnership. Sourcing cheetahs from Kenya is one of the issues on the agenda,” said a highly-placed source. Some of the other major collaborations on wildlife conservation outlined in the MoU include capacity building, research, training of field staff, wildlife management and habitat management. “We can train their field staff at institutions such as Wildlife Institute of India and impart field lessons at our tiger reserves. These are some of the issues that have been discussed earlier,” said another source. India had expressed its desire to source cheetahs from Kenya during a visit of Kenya President William Ruto last December. In May, the Kenyan delegation visited Delhi to discuss with NTCA officials and then went to see the management of cheetahs at Kuno National Park and preparations at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, the next site where cheetahs are likely to be introduced.
