Sunday marked the first anniversary of the arrival of eight African cheetahs from Namibia in Kuno National Park (KNP), Madhya Pradesh. The Action Plan for the Introduction of Cheetahs in India states, “On arrival to India, cheetahs would be quarantined for the required period in a predator-proof enclosure at the site of release and monitored for the manifestation of any sickness as per the regulation of import of live animals under the Livestock-Importation Act, 1898.” The prescribed quarantine period is 30 days.
It took more than 50 days for the first two cheetahs to be released from their quarantine enclosures into a larger holding enclosure and more than 70 days for the last of the eight cheetahs to be released into the larger enclosures. Twelve cheetahs from South Africa arrived on February 18 this year and it took about 60 days for them to be released into the larger enclosures. These were delays that should have been avoided.
The Action Plan also states that “Scientific assessment to establish the prevalence of potential carnivore pathogens/diseases at the release sites by collecting sufficient samples from several carnivore/omnivore species and feral dogs/cats from different locations in/around the release sites would be undertaken to ensure implementation of appropriate preventive medicine procedures and prophylactic steps like vaccinations on founder stock.” It is not clear if these critical assessments were carried out and what the results were, as there is nothing in the public domain. This becomes particularly relevant in the context of the deaths of three cheetahs in July and August — they were likely to have been caused by native pathogens, novel to the African cheetahs.
The Action Plan goes on to state, “The selection of animals suitable for release will be the responsibility of the chosen donors/experts in Namibia and South Africa and will be verified by CTF/WII. The selected animals shall be collected from different locations and prepared for transportation, after necessary vaccinations and health checks etc., as per international protocols…” Events have played out in a manner which contradicts this prescription. The cause of death of the first cheetah in KNP has been diagnosed as renal disease, stated to have been a pre-existing condition. The project authorities are also on record stating that two of cheetahs from Namibia will not be released as they were hand-reared. This shows a faulty selection process which allowed the import of an animal which was ill, and two animals behaviourally unfit for release in the wild. In effect, three of the eight cheetahs that were part of the first batch of cheetahs from Namibia, did not meet the criteria prescribed in the Action Plan.
The Action Plan also notes, “Male coalitions and females would be kept in separate but adjoining compartments so that they can know each other before release.” This, too, does not seem to have been followed. Evidence from at least three events — the birth of a litter, the fatal mauling of a female by two males, and the death of a male while a female was in the same enclosure — shows that males and females were in the same enclosure.
More from the Action Plan: “Radio-collared male (coalitions) would be released from the holding enclosure first after an appropriate period (one to two months). The presence of females in the main enclosure would ensure that the males do not wander too far away after their exploration instinct is satiated. The females shall be released, after radio collaring, 1-4 weeks after the males, depending upon the state of the males’ comfort in the new environment.” Neither the mentioned timelines nor the stated sequence of release have been followed. The first two animals which were released were a male and a female.
Of the 20 adult cheetahs that were imported, four have died in captivity and two have died while ranging free. Of the litter of four cubs, three are dead. Till now, four of the cheetahs have not yet been released to range free for even a day in KNP.
Currently, 14 adult cheetahs and one cub are surviving and all the cats are in some form of captivity or the other. That, in a nutshell, is the status of the Cheetah Project a year after implementation.
The key lessons from the last year are the need to respect and incorporate the best available scientific knowledge in the planning, implementation and monitoring of a project of this scale. Science informs us that cheetahs are a low-density species, existing at best at 1-2 per 100 sq km and with a unique spatial ecology. The introduced cheetahs will need about 5,000 sq km of good-quality habitat to establish a viable population in India. The country currently does not have this extent of habitat for the cheetahs.
Planning and implementation of this project needed to have involved scientists and conservationists who have decades of experience working with free-ranging cheetahs in the wild. Similarly, the project authorities should have paid heed to constructive criticism. Instead, they have decided to exclude the wild-cheetah experts and continue to ignore scientific advice.
Initiatives like this would greatly benefit from being inclusive and transparent during planning and implementation. Unfortunately, there seems to be a gag order in place for the last couple of months that has stifled the flow of information. Such an approach doesn’t benefit anyone.
The project’s goal is to establish a viable cheetah metapopulation in India that allows the animal to perform its functional role as a top predator and provides space for the expansion of the cheetah within its historical range, thereby contributing to global conservation efforts. The current status doesn’t indicate any progress to achieve the stated goal.
The writer is CEO, Metastring Foundation and Coordinator, Biodiversity Collaborative
