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Reintroduction of Cheetah

This article will cover detailed information about Reintroduction of Cheetah

Why in the News?

Recently, Indian and Namibian government signed an agreement for the relocation of the cheetahs from southern Africa to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park.

Key Points:

  • Over the next five years, India plans to introduce 50 cheetahs, possibly ten each year, with 10-12 large cats to be brought from Namibia and South Africa.
  • The country’s last cheetah died in 1947, and the cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952.
  • The ‘African Cheetah Introduction Project in India’ was conceived in 2009, but it failed to take off for over a decade.

Highlights of the Agreement:

  • The cheetahs will arrive in India for a one-year trial period.

Need for reintroduction:

  • To re-establish the ecosystem function role of the cheetah in representative areas of its former range and
  • To contribute to the global effort towards the conservation of the cheetah as a species.

Causes of extinction of cheetahs in India:

  • Its reduced levels of genetic heterogeneity due to a historical genetic bottleneck resulting in low fertility and high infant mortality in the wild.
  • Its inability to breed in captivity.
  • Sport hunting and bounty killings

Other Recruitments:

About Cheetah:

  • The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal and one of the oldest large cat species that lives in Africa and Asia.

Habitats: The cheetah’s habitat was also diverse, favouring the more open habitats: scrub forests, dry grasslands, savannas and other arid and semi­arid open habitats.

Protection Status:

  • African Cheetah:
    • IUCN status: Vulnerable
    • Population: less than 7,000, found primarily in the African savannas.
  • Asian Cheetah:
    • IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
    • Population: 40-50 found only in Iran.

About Kuno National Park:

  • Location: It is located in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.
  • It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
  • Flora: Dry savanna forest, grassland and tropical riverine forest.
  • Fauna: Indian leopard, jungle cat, sloth bear, dhole, Indian wolf, golden jackal, striped hyena and Bengal fox.