Why in the news ?

A report by the Accountant General of Madhya Pradesh has flagged concerns over the management of Project Cheetah in Kuno National Park, highlighting a “lack of coordination” between central and state government departments.

What is Project Cheetah ?

Project Cheetah is India’s cheetah relocation programme. As part of the project, 50 cheetahs will be introduced in various National Parks over five years.

The cheetah was officially declared extinct by the Indian government in 1952.

In total, 20 adult African cheetahs have been imported so far and were relocated in Kuno National Park.

This is the first time in the world that a large carnivore has been relocated from one continent to another.

The first batch of eight cheetahs arrived in September 2022 from Namibia and another batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa arrived in February 2023.

Since their arrival in India, eight adult cheetahs, three females and five males, have died.

Seventeen cubs have been born in India, with 12 surviving, bringing the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno to 24.

Brief Historical Timeline of Project Cheetah

Earliest historical references of Cheetahs in India:

They are found in classical Greek records of India, from Strabo, about 200 years before the Common Era.

In the Mughal Period, cheetahs were used very extensively for hunting. Emperor Akbar had 1,000 cheetahs in his menagerie.

Central India, particularly the Gwalior region, had cheetahs for a very long time. Various states including Gwalior and Jaipur used to hunt cheetahs.

Extinction of Cheetahs:

The country’s last spotted cheetah died in Sal forests of Chhattisgarh’s Koriya district in 1948 and the wild animal was declared extinct in the country in 1952.

Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh, the ruler of a small princely state in today’s Chhattisgarh shot India’s last 3 surviving cheetahs.

1^st plan to reintroduce the cheetah-First solid steps were taken in the 1970s, during negotiations with Iran, then under Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi. Iran’s cheetahs were Asiatic, like India’s extinct animals.The plan was to exchange Asiatic lions for Asiatic cheetahs.

2009-Another attempt to source Iranian Cheetahs was made in 2009 without success. Iran would not permit even cloning of its Cheetahs.

2012-Supreme Court ordered a stay on the reintroduction project.

2020-South African experts visited four potential sites: Kuno-Palpur, Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Madhav National Park.

2022- Project Cheetah was officially launched by the Prime Minister.

Concerns raised in report

The audit labeled this expenditure futile, as the Action Plan mandates trained staff remain at conservation sites for at least five years.

The audit flagged that there was no mention of cheetah reintroduction in the work plan and management plan, and that there are no documents detailing where the cheetah reintroduction work began and how it started.

From 2021-22 to January 2024, Rs 44.14 crore was spent on Project Cheetah, which was found to be not in accordance with the approved management plan.

Also unjustified expenditure of over Rs 90 lakh was flagged under labor expenses. However machines were used instead of manual labor resulting in higher costs and a loss of employment for local workers.

The audit found that ground staff and the Kuno Wildlife Division were not involved in the site selection or the cheetah reintroduction study, raising concerns about the planning and coordination at the ground level.

As per the approved management plan, Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was identified as the second habitat of Asiatic lions (apart from Gir forest in Gujarat).

However, no efforts had been made to reintroduce Asiatic lions.

The report revealed that the former Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Kuno,, was sent to South Africa and Namibia for cheetah management training but was transferred soon after, making his expertise unavailable.

Kuno National Park
– The park is located in the Vindhyan Hills of Central India in Madhya Pradesh.
– It was established in 1981 as a wildlife sanctuary. In 2018, it was given the status of a national park.
– The Kuno river flows through the national park.

• Sheopur distt. (MP)

CBL Practice Questions for Prelims –

Which national park is primarily involved in the initial reintroduction of cheetahs under this project?

A) Bandhavgarh National Park

B) Kuno National Park

C) Jim Corbett National Park

D) Kaziranga National Park

Answer: B) Kuno National Park

CBL Mains Practice Question

Discuss the significance of Project Cheetah in the context of biodiversity conservation in India. What challenges does the project face, and how can they be mitigated?

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