Project Cheetah Current Status and Challenges: Introduction of African Cheetahs in India

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Project Cheetah, India’s ambitious initiative to introduce African cheetahs into its ecosystems, has faced several significant challenges since its inception. Despite the project’s goals to conserve cheetahs and restore savanna habitats, setbacks like prolonged captivity and cheetah fatalities have cast doubts on its long-term success. The project’s future now hinges on finding adequate habitat, implementing scientific management, and securing community support to overcome these challenges.

What is Project Cheetah?

The Cheetah Action Plan (CAP) lays out India’s strategy to conserve the African cheetah and restore its ecosystem functions. It aims to support not only the conservation of the African cheetah but also assist the Government of Iran and the international community in conserving the Asiatic cheetah. As a flagship species, the cheetah is intended to rejuvenate India’s degraded savanna ecosystems and bolster eco-tourism, benefiting local communities.

The CAP envisions that cheetahs will reach the carrying capacity of Kuno National Park in 15 years and the broader Kuno landscape within 30-40 years. However, this requires a minimum 25-year commitment from various Indian authorities, including the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, and the Wildlife Institute of India.

Why Are the Cheetahs in Captivity?

According to the CAP, the release of cheetahs into the wild was to follow a specific timeline. Male cheetahs were to be released first from their holding enclosures (bomas) within one to two months, followed by the females within four weeks. However, India missed these deadlines, resulting in a longer- than-expected quarantine for all cheetahs in Kuno National Park.

The 12 surviving adult cheetahs have spent nearly a year in captivity, a situation many see as a misguided attempt to ensure their safety. This approach contradicts the objective of Project Cheetah, which aims to allow these animals to range freely in the wild. Moreover, captivity for extended periods renders cheetahs unfit for release, as per Namibian policies that limit captivity for wild large carnivores to three months. Consequently, the 12 adult cheetahs and their cubs currently in Kuno are deemed unsuitable for wild release.

Cheetah

Common Name – Cheetah

Scientific Name – Acinonyx jubatus

Acinonyx jubatus jubatus (African Cheetah)
Acinonyx jubatus venaticus (Asiatic Cheetah)

Reintroduction of Cheetah to India:

The “Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India” was released by MoEF&CC at the 19th meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) (January 2022).

o Such a plan was first proposed in 2009.

In September 2022, eight cheetahs landed in India from Namibia.

o The 8 cheetahs have been relocated to the Kuno-Palpur National Park, Madhya Pradesh.

o The relocation of cheetahs to India from Namibia is the world first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.

African Cheetah

Slightly brownish and golden skin; thicker than the Asiatic Cheetahs
More prominent spots and lines on the face
Found all over the African continent
IUCN Red List Status – Vulnerable

Asiatic Cheetah

Slightly smaller than the African ones.
Pale yellowish fawn-colored skin – more fur under body, belly specifically.
Found only in Iran; the country claims there are only 12 of them left.
Year 1952 – Asiatic Cheetah officially declared extinct from India.
IUCN Red List Status – Critically Endangered

Why Did So Many Cheetahs Die?

While deaths and births are natural parts of wildlife management, the fatalities among imported cheetahs highlight significant project flaws. One female cheetah from Namibia died due to a pre-existing kidney condition, while others succumbed to ailments such as suspected hypokalemia and heart failure. Some deaths occurred before the cheetahs were even released from captivity.

Further, environmental factors contributed to more deaths. For example, three cubs died of heatstroke in May 2023, and some adults contracted dermatitis followed by myiasis and septicemia, allegedly due to inappropriate winter coat growth during Indian summers—a biologically unlikely scenario. By 2024, other cheetahs died due to drowning and physical injuries, raising concerns about the suitability of their relocation.

Why Are the Cheetahs Located in Kuno?

Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh was identified as the most suitable site for cheetah introduction after surveying ten locations in five central Indian states. It offers a favorable habitat and sufficient prey base. However, the cheetahs have been largely confined within an 80 sq. km fenced-off area within the park.

Although initial plans indicated a release in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary by late 2023 or early 2024, this timeline has been postponed to late 2024 or early 2025. A captive breeding facility is also being established in the Banni grasslands of Kachchh, Gujarat, with Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh proposed as another potential introduction site.

Who Is Responsible for the Cheetahs?

An expert committee chaired by Rajesh Gopal, appointed by the NTCA, oversees Project Cheetah, while the NTCA and the MoEFCC handle high-level decisions, including procurement negotiations with African countries. The Wildlife Institute of India provides technical input, and the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department manages field implementation.

Will Project Cheetah Have Measurable Outcomes?

The CAP outlines both short- and long-term success criteria. Short-term goals include a 50% survival rate in the first year, successful reproduction in the wild, and generating eco-tourism revenue. Unfortunately, these goals have not been met due to the prolonged captivity of cheetahs, which contradicts the project original guidelines.

Long-term success is defined by establishing a stable, free-ranging cheetah population with natural survival rates and a viable metapopulation across habitats spanning 4,000 to 8,000 sq. km. It also involves improving habitat quality, prey diversity, and community benefits through sustainable conservation. However, achieving these outcomes depends on sustained management efforts over 15 to 40 years.

Does Project Cheetah Have a Sunset Clause?

The project’s long-term success indicators, such as the establishment of a viable metapopulation, can be viewed as a de facto sunset clause. The timeline for achieving these outcomes extends across a minimum of 15 years, with a more realistic projection of 30-40 years. However, the lingering question is whether India has the required quality and quantity of habitat to establish a viable, free-ranging cheetah population.

Conclusion:

Project Cheetah represents an ambitious effort to conserve African cheetahs and restore India savanna ecosystems. However, prolonged captivity, habitat challenges, and cheetah fatalities have raised serious concerns about its long-term feasibility. The project future depends on scientific management, adequate habitat provision, and ongoing support from the Indian government and local communities to overcome these obstacles.