Indian Govt is all set to welcome eight Cheetahs, five females and three males, for the Cheetah reintroduction project in India from Namibia. On September 16, the modified passenger B-747 Jumbo Jet airplane took off from Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, Namibia to Jaipur. The cheetahs, which went extinct in 1952 in India, will be reaching Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh via helicopter.
This is the first ever transcontinental mission to introduce African cheetahs to the wilderness of India.
Over the years, wildlife has often been collected by royal assortments, and exhibits, and shipped from distant exotic places in Africa, Asia, and the New World. The process of conservation and movement of wildlife began in the 1960s. But relocating wildlife often pose threats to their survival in different atmosphere and change in their natural habitat.
The process of acquiring and releasing wildlife, especially so-called problematic animals, such as leopards, often causes a situation of agitation among the local population, even with specific guidelines against it.
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Here are how such wild carnivores are moved from their natural habitat
- The procedure of translocation has gained quite popularity, but the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a union of governments and civil society organizations, has issued guidelines for it. The purpose of conservation, be it in the relocation of wildlife within the nation or translocation there are a number of factors that pose a threat to such situations.
- Genetic diversity- this may be an issue as it's often difficult for a healthy breed that is genetically suitable for each other.
- A number of factors are involved where before the relocating of animals, the fluctuation in the environment, physical security, enough space, and ample food play an important role.
- Landscape viability- just moving and relocating the animals in specified forest locations might not be enough, it requires a viable landscape that suits their needs and lifestyle.
- Another such challenge that arises is that most animals have the ability to sense their direction, and if relocated, may find their way back. In the case of Cheetahs, it also comes in conflict with other wildlife with the release of unfamiliar animals. One solution can be releasing the animals in a soft manner, which gives them time to settle in their environment.
- In November 2009, a tiger was shifted from Pench tiger reserve to Panna. Upon reaching its destination, it was kept in an enclosure for eight days. Once set free, the young male took time to survey the new location, and on the 11th day started walking in the south direction. With four elephants and 70 teams of government officials and volunteers behind him, the tiger walked 440 kilometers in 30 days towards Pench through Chhatarpur, Sagar, and Damoh districts before it was finally intercepted and brought back to Panna.
- To avoid such circumstances, the government has released a Cheetah Action Plan, which says that radio-collared males will be released from the holding enclosure after 4-8 weeks and that the presence of females in the enclosure will keep them in nearby proximity. A senior forest official involved in the project said that there might be chances of homing tendencies “a continent and an ocean away” from home.
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