Project Cheetah

WHY IN NEWS?
Recently, in kuno National Park the Cheetah named Daksha was died from injuries due to violent mating attempt by two male cheetahs.

ABOUT CHEETAH:
• Fastest mammal on land, the cheetah can reach speeds of 60 miles an hour over short distances.
• The cheetahs are excellent in eyesight helps it find prey during the day.
• Because of their size, strength, and predatory skills, it is considered to be one of the ‘big cats”.
• Cheetahs have been rapidly heading toward extinction and are classified as a vulnerable species under the IUCN’s in schedule 2 (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list of threatened species.

PROJECT CHEETAH:
• In January 2022 Government of India launched the Action Plan for reintroducing Cheetahs in India under project Cheetah.
• Aim: The project cheetah is part of global cheetah conservation efforts by providing habitat in legally protected areas of habitable landscape for the species.

AGREEMENT WITH REINTRODUCTION:
• In 2009 it was decided that the African cheetah would be used for introduction to India.
• The Cheetah Reintroduction Project, which aims to restore the population of cheetahs in India,
• First batch of 8 cheetah (5 females and 3 males) arrived in India from Namibia in September 2022 at kuno national park.
• Second batch of 12 cheetah (5 females and 7 males) arrived in India from South Africa in February 2023 at kuno national park.

CHEETAHS DEATH:
1. The cheetah named Sasha, was died due to kidney infection.
2. The cheetah named Uday was died due to cardiopulmonary failure.
3. The cheetah named Daksha was died due to mating injuries.

KUNO NATIONAL PARK:
• The Kuno National Park was situated in Madhya Pradesh at Sheopur district.
• The Kuno River, was one of the tributary of river Chambal flows on its entire length.
• KNP consist of Khathiawar-Gir Dry Deciduous Forests.
• Wildlife Institute of India selected the Kuno National Park for Cheetah reintroduction.

WHY PROJECT CHEETAH AT KUNO NATIONAL PARK?
• Habitat and Landscape: Diverse landscape with grasslands, rocky outcrops, and open forests.
o Resembles the typical habitat of cheetahs.
• Prey Availability: Abundance of suitable prey species like chital, sambhar, and wild boar.
• Protected Area Status: Provides legal protection and conservation measures for wildlife, including cheetahs.
• Connectivity and Conservation Landscape: Part of a larger conservation landscape in central India.
o Connectivity with other protected areas and wildlife corridors

CHEETAH TASK FORCE:
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has created a 9 member task force to monitor Cheetahs in kuno National Park.
• The Task Force will be entrusted with monitoring the health status of the Cheetahs and reviewing their progress.
• The task force also monitor hunting skills and adaptations habit of the Cheetahs.

Reference:
1. pib.gov.in
2. ntca.gov.in
3. cheetah.org