7-Oct-2022: Cheetah Task Force constituted

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has constituted a Task Force for monitoring Cheetah introduction in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh and other suitable designated areas.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) would facilitate the working of Cheetah Task Force and render all necessary help.  The Task Force shall be in-force for a period of two years.  This task force may appoint a subcommittee to regularly visit the Cheetah introduction area as and when decided by them.

Cheetah restoration is part of a prototype or model for restoration of original cheetah habitats and their biodiversity.  This will help to stem the degradation and rapid loss of biodiversity.  Bringing back a top predator restores historic evolutionary balance resulting in cascading effects on various levels of the eco-system.  Bringing the cheetah back is expected to have important conservation ramifications.  The cheetah has been the evolutionary natural selection force that has shaped the adaptation of high speeds in Indian antelopes and gazelles.  By restoring cheetah, we would also be able to save not only its prey base comprising certain threatened species, but also other endangered species of the grasslands / open forest eco-systems, some of which are on the brink of extinction.

The Task Force has been constituted to:

1. Review, progress and monitor the health status of Cheetah, upkeep of the quarantine & soft release enclosures, protection status of entire area, adherence to the defined protocols by forest & veterinary officials and advice on Cheetah introduction in India to the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and NTCA on status of Cheetah with respect to overall health, behavior and their upkeep.
2. Monitor hunting skills and adaptation of Cheetahs to the habitat of Kuno National Park.
3. Monitor release of Cheetah from Quarantine bomas to soft release enclosures and then to grass land and open forest areas.
4. Open Cheetah habitat for eco-tourism and suggest regulations in this regard.
5. Suggest and advice on development of tourism infrastructure in the fringe areas of Kuno National Park and other Protected Areas.
6. Regularly interact with Cheetah Mitras and local communities for their awareness raising and also involvement in protection of Cheetahs in particular & area in general.

The members of the Task Force include:

1. Principal Secretary (Forests), Madhya Pradesh
2. Principal Secretary (Tourism), Madhya Pradesh
3. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, Madhya Pradesh
4. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh
5. Shri Alok Kumar, Retd. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh
6. Dr. Amit Mallick, Inspector General, NTCA, New Delhi
7. Dr. Vishnu Priya, Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
8. Shri Abhilash Khandekar, Member MP SBWL, Bhopal
9. Shri Subhoranjan Sen, APCCF- Wildlife – Member Convener

17-Sep-2022: PM releases wild Cheetahs - which had become extinct from India - in Kuno National Park

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today released wild Cheetahs - which had become extinct from India - in Kuno National Park. Cheetahs - brought from Namibia - are being introduced in India under Project Cheetah, which is world's first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project. Out of the eight Cheetahs there are five female and three male Cheetahs.

The Prime Minister released Cheetahs at two release points in Kuno National Park. The Prime Minister also interacted with Cheetah Mitras, Cheetah Rehabilitation Management Group and students at the venue. The Prime Minister addressed the Nation on this historic occasion.

The release of wild Cheetahs by the Prime Minister in Kuno National Park is part of his efforts to revitalise and diversify India’s wildlife and its habitat. The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952. The Cheetahs that would be released are from Namibia and have been brought under an MoU signed earlier this year. The introduction of Cheetah in India is being done under Project Cheetah, the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.

Cheetahs will help restore open forest and grassland ecosystems in India. This will help conserve biodiversity and enhance the ecosystem services like water security, carbon sequestration and soil moisture conservation, benefiting society at large. This effort, in line with the Prime Minister’s commitment to environmental protection and wildlife conservation, will also lead to enhanced livelihood opportunities for the local community through eco-development and ecotourism activities.

The historic reintroduction of Cheetahs in India is part of a long series of measures for ensuring sustainability and environment protection in the last eight years which has resulted in significant achievements in the area of environment protection and sustainability. . The coverage of Protected Areas which was 4.90% of the country's geographical area in 2014 has now increased to 5.03%. This includes an increase in Protected Areas in the country from 740 with an area of 1,61,081.62 sq. kms. in 2014 to present 981 with an area of 1,71,921 sq. kms.

Forest and tree cover has increased by 16,000 square kms in the last four years. India is among few countries in the world where forest cover is consistently increasing

There has also been an increase in the number of community reserves. From just 43 in 2014 their numbers are more than 100 in 2019.

India is home to 52 Tiger Reserves covering approximately 75,000 Sq Km area in 18 States with  approximately 75% population of the wild tiger at global level. India achieved the goal of doubling the tiger numbers in 2018 itself, four years in advance from the targeted year 2022.  The Tiger Population in India has increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018.

The budgetary allocation for tiger conservation has increased from Rs 185 crore in 2014 to Rs 300 crore in 2022.

The population of Asiatic Lions has shown a steady increase with a population of 674 individuals with an increase rate of 28.87 per cent (one of the highest growth rates so far) from the 523 lions in 2015.

India now (2020) has 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted in 2014. More than 60% increase in population has been recorded.

Governor, Madhya Pradesh Shri Mangubhai Patel; Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Union Ministers, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Shri Bhupender Yadav, Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia and Shri Ashwini Chobey were among those present on the occasion.

17-Aug-2022: Project cheetah to reestablish the species in its historical range in India.

Project Cheetah is an ambitious project undertaken by Government of India which aims to re-establish the species in its historical range in India. Reintroduction of wild species particularly the Cheetah is being undertaken as per the IUCN guidelines and the processes like disease screening, quarantine of release candidates as well as transportation of live wild animals across continents requires careful planning and execution.

The date for Cheetah introduction/ translocation has not been decided as yet. Seized of the sensitivity of the entire process, MoEFCC is taking all precautions to ensure success of the project. Upon arrival, the Cheetahs will be kept under quarantine and observed before release. Reports in certain sections of the media that African Cheetahs are still stuck in transit are completely unfounded.

While the agreement has been signed with the Republic of Namibia, the process of signing of MoU with South Africa is underway.

10-Aug-2022: Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India

India plans to restore the only large carnivore, the Cheetah, that has become extinct in independent India.

This endeavor will achieve the following goals and objectives:

Goal: Establish viable cheetah metapopulation in India that allows the cheetah to perform its functional role as a top predator and provide space for the expansion of the cheetah within its historical range thereby contributing to its global conservation efforts.

Objectives of the project are-

1. To establish breeding cheetah populations in safe habitats across its historical range and manage them as a metapopulation.
2. To use the cheetah as a charismatic flagship and umbrella species to garner resources for restoring open forest and savanna systems that will benefit biodiversity and ecosystem services from these ecosystems.
3. To enhance India’s capacity to sequester carbon through ecosystem restoration activities in cheetah conservation areas and thereby contribute towards the global climate change mitigation goals.
4. To use the ensuing opportunity for eco-development and eco-tourism to enhance local community livelihoods.
5. To manage any conflict by cheetah or other wildlife with local communities within cheetah conservation areas expediently through compensation, awareness, and management actions to win community support.

The introduction of the cheetah is not only a species recovery program but an effort to restore ecosystems with a lost element that has played a significant role in their evolutionary history, allow ecosystems to provide services to their full potential, and use the cheetah as an umbrella species for conserving the biodiversity of grasslands, savanna and open forest systems.

The word Cheetah is of Sanskrit origin and the cheetah finds mention in the ancient texts such as the Vedas and Puranas; it is indeed ironical that the species is currently extinct in India. The original threats that resulted in the extinction of the cheetah have been abated and India now has the technical and financial ability to bring back its lost Natural Heritage for ethical, ecological, and economic considerations.

Successful conservation introductions are a blend of best science, technology, sociological aspects and commitment of financial resources. These aspects are integrated in this Action Plan based on the modern scientific approach recommended by the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines for reintroduction and other conservation translocations, provides the framework for bringing back the charismatic cheetah to India.

7-Feb-2022: Import of Cheetahs from Abroad

The Government of India is in the process of holding consultation meeting with African countries for bringing Cheetah.  A total of 12-14 cheetahs are intended to be brought from South Africa/Namibia/Other African Countries over a period of five years as per the Action Plan. The such introduced cheetah would be fitted with Satellite/GSM-GPS-VHF radio-collars before their release in wild so as to enable monitoring remotely.

The cheetah was declared extinct from India in 1952, currently there are no cheetah in any National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary in India.

About 12-14 wild cheetahs (8-10 males and 4-6 females) from various parks/reserves/areas that are ideal (reproductive age group that is genetically diverse, disease free, behaviorally sound-e.g. not overly imprinted to humans but tolerant, predator wary, capable of hunting wild prey, and socially tolerant of each other) for establishing a new cheetah population would be imported as required from South Africa/Namibia/Other African Countries, as a founder stock for five years initially and then as may be required by the program.

Cheetah is the only large carnivore to have become extinct in Independent India. There are no cheetah left in wild in India, therefore, to introduce them in India they have to be brought from abroad. Cheetah has been an integral part of Indian ecosystems, a major evolutionary force, and an important cultural heritage. Their restoration will likely result in better conservation of open forest, grassland, and scrub ecosystems for which they will serve as a flagship species.

Rs. 38.70 crore under the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger has been allocated to the cheetah introduction project for the years 2021-22 to 2025-26.

27-Aug-2018: Madhya Pradesh Government seeks revival of Cheetah Reintroduction Project

The Madhya Pradesh forest department has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority to revive the plan to reintroduce cheetahs in the State’s Nauradehi sanctuary. The ambitious project, conceived in 2009, had hit a roadblock for want of funds.

The country’s last spotted feline died in Chhattisgarh in 1947. Later, the cheetah — which is the fastest land animal — was declared extinct in India in 1952.

State’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife) Shahbaz Ahmad had written a letter to the NTCA seeking revival of the cheetah reintroduction project in Nauradehi sanctuary located in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district. He had sought NTCA's stand on the project.

The M.P. forest department would need finances from the Centre for the project. The NTCA, a statutory body under the Union Environment Ministry, had committed ₹50 crore to the State for it in 2011.

The Wildlife Institute of India at Dehradun had prepared a ₹260-crore cheetah re-introduction project six years ago. It was estimated that an amount of ₹25 crore to ₹30 crore would be needed to build an enclosure in an area of 150 sq. km for the cheetahs in Nauradehi. The proposal was to put the felines in the enclosure with huge boundary walls before being released in the wild.

Nauradehi was found to be the most suitable area for the cheetahs as its forests are not very dense to restrict the fast movement of the spotted cat. Besides, the prey base for cheetahs is also in abundance at the sanctuary.

According to the earlier action plan, around 20 cheetahs were to be translocated to Nauradehi from Namibia in Africa. The Namibia Cheetah Conservation Fund had then showed its willingness to donate the felines to India. However, the State was not ready to finance the plan contending that it was the Centre’s project.