Hunting spree of kings led to extinction of cheetahs, says wildlife expert

In 1951, the photographs of the last three Cheetahs that were killed during the hunting by Surguja Maharaj were sent to the Bombay Natural History Society for reference and record. Thereafter, the ball was set rolling for the extinction of Cheetahs in the country.

Palamu (Jharkhand): The transshipment of eight Cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh has revived the discussion that how they disappeared and what led to those wild animals going into oblivion. DS Srivastava, a wildlife expert, delving into the cause, which led to Cheetahs' extinction, explained that the forest range from Palamu in Jharkhand to Satpura in Madhya Pradesh is the perfect habitat for big cats such as tigers.

"This is the largest habitat where a good number of wild animals are found. The ecology of the Palamu-Satpura forest range is conducive for wild animals." "But the hunting spree of Rajas and Maharajas began. Maharaja of Sarguja and his contemporaries were great hunters of wild animals. The kings had full control over the flora and fauna of the forest. They took a special interest in developing the forest into a major hunting ground."

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Except for the king or his guest, the general public was not allowed to hunt the animals. "As the kings were taking special care in the upkeep of the forest. They didn't allow outsiders to indulge in shooting wild animals such as tigers or lions. Besides, the ruler at that time was authorised to issue permits for the hunting of animals."

The last three Cheetahs, which were killed in the Auraiya forest range by the Maharaj of Auraiya, set the ball rolling for the disappearance of this group of wild animals belonging to the big cat family. Shedding light on the extinction of Cheetahs, Srivastava said, "In 1951, the last hunting of Cheetahs was conducted in Auraiya forest by Maharaj of Auraiya. The PA of Auraiya King then dispatched photographs of the Cheetahs that were gunned down during the shooting to the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) the only organisation at that time, which was keeping records of the wild animals and their status in India. After the killing of three Cheetahs in the Auraiya forest range, its extinction from the country began."