Interview: 'Cheetah project proof of ecosystem restoration, 40 more big cats to be brought to India in future'

Bivash Ranjan, Additional Director General of Wildlife, Government of India, in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat's Rakesh Tripathi, spoke in detail about the recent Cheetah relocation programme. He said the government will bring 40 to 45 more cheetahs in the next five years.

New Delhi: India on Saturday brought eight Cheetahs -- five females and three males -- from Namibia which have been released into the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in a bid to reintroduce the big cats in the country post their extinction 70 years ago. The cheetahs will be monitored continuously by a team of experts for the next several days at the national park.

While the event is touted as a breakthrough in the conservation of the animal, many wildlife experts also raised questions about whether the trans-continental relocation will bear any fruit for the cheetahs. ETV Bharat's Rakesh Tripathi spoke to Bivash Ranjan, Additional Director General of Wildlife, Government of India in this regard.

ETB: Many questions are being raised that the cheetahs brought from Africa will not be able to adjust in India, what is the truth?

Ranjan: The first thing we do when such trans-continental relocation of any wild animal takes place is to see whether there is a favourable climate for them or not, whether there is enough food for the animal and the threat posed to the guest animal by the local animals. After studying these parameters we come to the decision whether it should be brought in or not. As far as the cheetah is concerned, let me make it clear that not only did we try to study the cheetah's habitat in India, but scientists from Namibia and South Africa also assisted in this task. Therefore, the effort made to reintroduce the cheetah (in India) will be absolutely successful, as all its technical aspects have been taken care of.

ETB: Has this kind of relocation happened anywhere else in wildlife before?

Ranjan: We translocate animals from one state to another. We brought a one-horned Rhinoceros from Assam to Lakhimpur. Translocation from one national park to another national park has been done in the same state, which too has been successful.

But the translocation of any mammal from one continent to another is a very important event in history to date. No such translocation has taken place before anywhere in the world. This is the first incident where an animal has been brought from the continent of Africa to the continent of Asia.

ETB: Questions are being raised that relocating the cheetah here is a waste of public money. At the same time, it is also said that the land of Kuno may not be suitable for cheetahs.

Ranjan:We first talked to the state governments about the usefulness of the cheetah, and where it can be kept. After getting proposals from every state, the Wildlife Institute of India studied them. This means both scientific facts and opinions were taken. Based on the facts, we shortlisted Madhya Pradesh. After this, the people of Cheetah Management came to our country from abroad and they studied it. For many weeks they sat here and studied the species and the ecosystem of the Kuno Wildlife Park and whether the climate will be favourable for the cheetah.

ETB: What is being done to keep an eye on these cheetahs?

Ranjan: We have just left the cheetahs in a small enclosure for quarantine for up to 30 days. Arrangements have been made for their 24-hour monitoring. We will see whether the animal adapts to our climate or not, and what kind of changes it undergoes. Groups of veterinarians and researchers have been formed, and each cheetah is being monitored by a group. After thirty days we will release them in a big enclosure of 2 sq km. Since all cheetahs are fitted with radio collars, we will keep an eye on what changes are seen in their behaviour, diet, hunting habits, and whether they are capable of hunting or not.

ETB: So you must have made arrangements for his hunting as well?

Ranjan: When we leave any animal in the forest, we also check the food suitable for its survival, that is, the animals that it can eat and the availability of the prey. We had studied all these things before bringing these cheetahs. We found that this area is very favourable for these cheetahs.

ETB: It is said that bringing cheetahs here will restore the degraded grassland of this area. What does it mean?

Ranjan: This entire project is living proof of ecosystem restoration. Every ecosystem has a food chain and there is one at the Kuno National Park. The cheetah is the largest of those animals. The bottom food was grasslands, so unless there are grasslands, there would be no small animals like grubs or birds. There will be no little cat that eats those birds and cats. A hawk will have a bird to eat. If a habitat has the topmost animal available, it means your system is well-organized which means there are animals for its diet. This means enough grassland and water too.

ETB: Are chitals (spotted deer) also released in Kuno for the diet of these cheetahs at present?

Ranjan: We cannot hold them and give them. In the forests of Kuno, 17 types of animals are available for cheetahs to eat. There is no need to relocate any other animal from outside. Based on pre-estimation, we have decided to keep the cheetahs here.

ETB: What is the plan for the next two years regarding cheetahs?

Ranjan: Until these meta-populations of ours are established, we do not consider them as an established population. We will bring 40 to 45 more cheetahs in the next five years. In these five years, we will see what their fertility is, how many offspring were born, and how many survived. Some other animals may kill them, but we will continue this until their population is established.

If the cheetah population is deemed stable, then we will release them in the bigger plains of Kuno itself, that is, in the National Park spread over 748 square kilometres. If the family of these cheetahs increases further, then we will leave them in the area which is 5000 square kilometres adjacent to this forest area.

ETB:What is the role of cheetah mitras(caretakers) in this?

Ranjan:Cheetah mitraswill play a very important role. The Prime Minister has also met them separately. These are our partners who will assist with our cheetah management. They will be the main link between the management and the local people. They are an important link for the security, management and economic development of the people.

Bringing an animal is not successful unless there is the participation of the local people and their economic development. When eco-tourism will increase there, then this plan will also be successful. Most of the tourism in Rajasthan is based on wildlife. Every state wants to have income from tourism. In the coming time, the Cheetah is going to be a big centre of tourism in Madhya Pradesh.

ETB:Have you thought of such a re-location in any other part of India?

Ranjan:For the time being until these cheetahs are established in terms of the population here, no further decision will be taken, of course, the idea will go on about it.

ETB: What are the dangers these cheetahs can face in relocation?

Ranjan: There are leopards also in this forest. Leopards threaten these cheetahs, but this zone has been designated a leopard-free zone. Secondly, the wild dogs that are around can also be dangerous for the animal. Thirdly, the diseases caused by cattle in the surrounding villages are also feared to be spread by cheetahs. We have sterilized and vaccinated nearby wild dogs in the last year. Cattle have also been vaccinated.

ETB: Is the project the first of its kind in the world?

Ranjan: Yes, the whole world is monitoring the project keenly to see whether India will do it successfully. I can say that there is love and reverence for animals and natural resources in our genes, in our ethos, and in our culture. The description of the cheetah in the Atharvaveda suggests that we were already familiar with it. This effort will be successful in India.