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A whirlwind site visit to India to assess the habitat suitability of Kuno National Park for cheetah reintroductions, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, highlights both opportunities and risks

Although the African cheetah subspecies is different from the Indian subspecies, there are only one small population of the Indian subspecies remaining with less than 20 individuals, and therefore reintroduction has to be supported by the African subspecies.

There have been heated debates as to whether or not cheetah should have been relocated from southern Africa to India and the (re)introduction has been, and still is, clouded in controversy. Historically, cheetah were relatively widespread in the grasslands of India. Unfortunately, due to the increasing conversion of grasslands for agriculture and cheetahs’ popularity for coursing, which is the use of cheetah as a hunting tool, the Asiatic subspecies of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) was extirpated in India by the mid-20th century.

A critically endangered remnant population of the subspecies still occurs in Iran, with insufficient numbers (< 20 individuals) to support reintroductions. The Government of the Republic of India thus requested the Government of the Republic of South Africa to consider granting permission for the export of the African subspecies (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) in support of its initiative to reintroduce cheetah. Restoring cheetah populations in India is considered to have vital and far-reaching conservation consequences by i) re-establishing the functional role of the cheetah in representative ecosystems; ii) improving and enhancing the livelihood options and economies of the local communities; and iii) contributing to the global effort towards conservation of cheetah as a species.

In September 2022, as part of a South African delegation, I had the privilege to participate in a working visit to assess the habitat suitability of the initial reintroduction site, Kuno National Park, in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The park, of approximately 75 000 ha, occurs in a semi-arid biogeographic zone in north-western India.

The whirlwind visit was an eye-opener for the delegation. The Wildlife Institute of India has put a lot of thought and effort into the reintroduction project, which had been undertaken by a multidisciplinary, experienced team and was guided by appropriate husbandry and release techniques. Although India is considered to be similar in habitat and wildlife to South Africa, it prides itself on its unfenced protected area system. Although ecologically valuable, this comes with many challenges, mostly associated with a dense human population of almost 1.3 billion. Any animal leaving a protected area is faced with an almost impermeable, human-transformed landscape. However, there is a history of Indian culture and religions respecting animal sentience and generally animals, including wildlife, are not harmed or killed for undue reasons. High fines and imprisonment for the illegal killing of wild animals are also meted out, and local eateries around protected areas are regularly monitored for game meat. India has also introduced a system of immediate compensation for the loss of livestock to a wild predator such as tiger or leopard, and intends to implement this same system for cheetah. The spotted deer (Axis axis) or chital, is a reliable prey species as the deer occur in large numbers throughout the park and produce offspring throughout the year. It is hoped that the presence of these deer will help retain the cheetah population within the boundaries of the park until other suitable protected areas are made available for reintroduction.

Indian Park Authorities have a successful track record of managing free-ranging large carnivores, including tiger and Asiatic lion, with a population of 600 Asian lions currently co-existing with people in a mixed landscape. It is hoped that the less aggressive cheetah could live together with people in the same way. However, reintroduction projects are not without risks, and there is always an element of uncertainty including concerns that the animals may not adapt to their new environment. Thus, post-release monitoring and research are essential to identify and assess risks and to adapt accordingly.

South Africa and India have agreed to share knowledge, exchange expertise and build capacity in areas of large carnivore conservation, inclusive of human-wildlife conflict resolution, capture and translocation of wildlife, and community participation in conservation.

This article was originally published in the 2022/2023 Research Report.