12 cheetahs from South Africa to arrive at MP’s Kuno National Park tomorrow

Following the import of the 12 cheetahs in February, the plan is to translocate a further 12 annually for the next eight to 10 years.

India

oi-Deepika S

Twelve
cheetahs
will
depart
from
South
Africa
for
India
as
part
of
an
initiative
to
expand
the
cheetah
meta-population
and
to
reintroduce
cheetahs
to
a
former
range
state
following
their
local
extinction
due
to
over
hunting
and
loss
of
habitat
in
the
last
century.

The
cheetah
will
join
eight
of
the
mammals
relocated
to
India’s
Kuno
National
Park
from
Namibia
in
September
2022.

Earlier
this
year,
the
governments
of
South
Africa
and
India
signed
a
Memorandum
of
Understanding
(MoU)
on
Cooperation
on
the
Re-introduction
of
Cheetah
to
India.

The
MoU
facilitates
cooperation
between
the
two
countries
to
establish
a
viable
and
secure
cheetah
population
in
India;
promotes
conservation
and
ensures
that
expertise
is
shared
and
exchanged,
and
capacity
built,
to
promote
cheetah
conservation.

This
includes
human-wildlife
conflict
resolution,
capture
and
translocation
of
wildlife
and
community
participation
in
conservation
in
the
two
countries.

Conservation
translocations
have
become
a
common
practice
to
conserve
species
and
restore
ecosystems.
South
Africa
plays
an
active
role
in
providing
founders
for
the
population
and
range
expansion
of
iconic
species
such
as
cheetahs.

“It
is
because
of
South
Africa’s
successful
conservation
practices
that
our
country
is
able
to
participate
in
a
project
such
as
this
–
to
restore
a
species
in
a
former
range
state
and
thus
contribute
to
the
future
survival
of
the
species,”
said
the
Minister
of
Forestry,
Fisheries
and
the
Environment,
Barbara
Creecy.

The
Cheetah,
Acinonyx
jubatus,
is
the
world’s
fastest
mammal,
and
is
endemic
to
the
savannahs
of
Africa.
While
southern
Africa
is
the
cheetah’s
regional
stronghold,
it
is
considered
to
be
a
vulnerable
under
the
Convention
on
International
Trade
in
Endangered
Species
of
Wild
Fauna
and
Flora
(CITES).

The
cheetah
was
declared
extinct
in
India
in
1952.
Restoring
cheetah
populations
is
considered
by
India
to
have
vital
and
far-reaching
conservation
consequences,
which
would
aim
to
achieve
a
number
of
ecological
objectives,
including
re-establishing
the
function
role
of
cheetah
within
their
historical
range
in
India
and
improving
the
enhancing
the
livelihood
options
and
economies
of
the
local
communities.

Following
the
import
of
the
12
cheetahs
in
February,
the
plan
is
to
translocate
a
further
12
annually
for
the
next
eight
to
10
years.
Scientific
assessments
will
be
undertaken
periodically
to
inform
such
translocations.

Worldwide,
cheetah
numbers
have
declined
from
an
estimated
15
000
adults
in
1975
to
a
current
global
population
of
less
than
7
000
individuals.
In
South
Africa,
the
transition
to
democracy
had
substantial
implications
for
wild
cheetah
conservation.

The
Game
Theft
Act
(No.
105
of
1991)
was
responsible
for
a
major
change
in
land
use
from
agriculture
to
ecotourism.
Since
1994
cheetahs
have
been
reintroduced
into
63
newly
established
game
reserves
that
currently
support
a
combined
metapopulation
of
460
individuals.

The
Department
of
Fisheries,
Forestry
and
the
Environment
has
approved
the
export
of
up
to
29
wild
cheetah
per
annum
to
support
conservation
efforts
for
the
species
outside
of
the
country.

Concerted
efforts
were
made
to
select
the
best
possible
cheetah
for
the
reintroduction
effort.
All
12
cheetahs
are
wild
born,
have
grown
up
amongst
competing
predators
including
lion,
leopard,
hyena
and
wild
dogs.
They
are
considered
predator
savvy
and
should
respond
appropriately
when
they
encounter
a
new
predator
guild
in
India
that
includes
tigers,
leopards,
wolves,
dholes,
striped
hyena,
and
sloth
bears.

The
Cheetahs
were
kindly
made
available
by
Phinda
Game
Reserve
(3),
Tswalu
Kalahari
Reserve
(3),
the
Waterberg
Biosphere
(3),
Kwandwe
Game
Reserve
(2)
and
Mapesu
Game
Reserve
(1)
and
their
translocation
is
in
line
with
IUCN
Guidelines
for
Reintroductions
and
Other
Conservation
Translocation
and
in
accordance
with
international
veterinary
standards
and
protocols.

with
PIB
inputs