Project Cheetah: A Bold and Controversial Effort to Reintroduce African Cheetahs in India

India had welcomed eight African cheetahs from Namibia, South Africa On September 17, 2022 to mark the initiation of the well known Project Cheetah, that was aimed at bringing the world’s fastest land animal back to the country. Out of the eight cheetahs, there three males and five females in total that had arrived on Indian soil. This ambitious initiative solely aimed at reintroducing the world’s fastest mammal to Indian soil. After a year and a half, there are still unanswered questions that linger around the project including its feasibility, costs, and long-term sustainability remain.

Panel Discussion Insights

The Leadership for Conservation in Africa (LCA) hosted a panel discussion as part of its Unlocking Nature series to address these concerns. Titled “A Short History of India’s Attempt to Introduce African Cheetahs,” the panel featured Dr. Ravi Chellam, a Bengaluru-based wildlife biologist, Dr. Willem Daffue, a wildlife veterinarian from Kroonstad Animal Hospital, and Dr. Gus Mills, a global expert on wild cheetah ecology and behavior.

“The bulk of the current distribution is in Africa with their population estimated to be around 6500 adult cats as per the 2021 estimate of IUCN,” Dr Ravi Chellam asserted as the disussion went into motion. He highlighted that the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species characterised the species of cheetah as ‘vulnerable’ and one that may face a higher risk of extinction in the wild as compared to the other animals.

The Extinction of Asiatic Cheetahs

Talking about the history of Asiatic cheetahs in India, the country’s grasslands had always been home to the species, although a slightly smaller and slimmer relative of the African subspecies. The cheetah’s widespread distribution across the country has been well-documented through hunting records and other historical sources. However, the similar reasons like the extensive sport of hunting, habitat loss, and prey depletion led to their dramatic decline. By 1952, the Asiatic cheetah was declared extinct in India, a few years after Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo shot what was believed to be the last cheetah in the subcontinent.

About two decades later, In the 1970s, discussions were sparked with regards to the reintroduction of the Asiatic cheetahs and the project was commenced with bringing these Asiatic mammals from Iran. “India tried to work with Iran to get a barter system going where we would give them some Asiatic lions and they, in turn, would give us some cheetahs, but that didn’t go very far,“ Dr Chellam further asserted that India’s proposal for a barter system with Iran offered Asiatic lions in exchange for their Asiatic cheetahs, however, the plan fell through. Subsequent attempts, including proposals to clone the Asiatic cheetah, also failed to materialize.

The Birth of Project Cheetah

In 2009, Once again the the subject garnered attention, this time on an international platform. An international meeting in Gajner, Rajasthan, reignited the idea of introducing African cheetahs to India. This led to a 2010 report assessing the feasibility of the project, culminating in an action plan by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. The plan argued that reintroducing cheetahs could restore ecological balance and improve grassland, scrubland, and open forest management.

However the project faced significant criticims from different parties involved. Dr. Chellam, during the panel discussion, pointed out the scientific weaknesses in the plan, emphasizing the risks of disease in a small, genetically limited population in an alien environment. He also questions the availability of suitable habitats in India, which already hosts a dense human population and several large predators. “Many of us feel that it is a distraction that conservation in India can ill afford,” He deemed while referring to the project.

Dr. Mills utilised the platform to highlight that the assumption of a surplus cheetah population in Africa is a fallacy. Most “surplus” cheetahs reside in small, fenced reserves, not in the wild. This casted doubt on the sustainability of exporting cheetahs to India without compromising their populations in Africa.

Cheetahs require vast territories to thrive, with densities of 1-2 per 100 sq km even in ideal habitats. The Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, covering around 748 sq km, is deemed inadequate for sustaining the 21 cheetahs estimated by the action plan. Dr. Chellam asserted,“The bottom line is that currently India does not have the required extent of quality habitat. ” He explained that India’s conservation culture, which opposes fencing, further complicates habitat management.

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Legal and Ethical Issues

In 2013, the Supreme Court of India ordered the translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir National Park to Kuno National Park to increase their survival chances. The same judgment quashed the plan to introduce African cheetahs. However, over a decade later, the translocation has not been implemented, raising legal and ethical concerns about Project Cheetah’s execution.

A critical issue that has not received enough attention relates to a 2013 Supreme Court order intended to increase the survival likelihood of India’s lions, which are currently restricted to Gir in Gujarat. The court ordered the translocation of some lions from Gir National Park to Kuno National Park within six months, responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2006. The same judgment also quashed the plan to introduce African cheetahs. “The implementation of this project is at complete odds with the commitments the government made to the court, which means that we are violating the rule of law,” says Dr. Ravi Chellam.

Dr. Chellam also believed that Project Cheetah detracts from other critical wildlife conservation priorities in India, such as the conservation of the Asiatic lion, the great Indian bustard, and the caracal. “The government slashed project funding related to wildlife by nearly 50 percent,” he noted, while enormous investments continue to be directed toward the cheetah introduction program.

Dr. Chellam disputed the claim that Project Cheetah is on the path to success. He argued that a conservation project aiming to establish a free-ranging, self-sustaining predator population cannot be deemed successful if the animals spend most of their time in captivity. He also suggests there may be political motivations behind the project’s implementation. “Many respected scientists and institutions pointing out weaknesses or flaws have been sidelined,” he says, emphasizing the need for healthy debate and course correction. “That will happen only if people are willing to speak and the government is willing to listen.”

Looking Forward

Given the project’s challenges, Dr. Chellam suggested a shift in strategy. Instead of importing more cheetahs and investing in fenced reserves, he advocated for using the existing cheetahs for educational and recreational purposes in safari parks. This approach would ensure their well-being and provide public education without overburdening India’s conservation resources.