Mumbai, India (CU)_ A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked between the Modi administration and Namibia to return cheetahs to India. In 1952, the Asian cheetah was declared extinct in India. The Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah signed the agreement. The proposal to import African cheetahs to India has been in the works for decades, and taking to Twitter, Yadav referred to the agreement in a series of tweets as historic.
The Kuno National Park has the facility to accommodate 21 to 36 cheetahs in a designated area. The fact that India contacted Namibia and South Africa to acquire cheetahs for the reintroduction plan has sparked skepticism among some environmentalists. According to a media statement released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), “The India-Namibia MoU focuses on wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilization between the two countries”.
According to an additional statement, the goal of the cheetah introduction project is to develop a population that will perform its functional role as a top predator, with a steady increase in population projected to contribute to its worldwide conservation efforts. The statement noted that the cheetah introduction project will benefit the greater ecosystem and rescue its vulnerable prey base, as well as other endangered species, such as the caracal, Indian wolf, and bustard family birds.
According to the government, the MoEFCC and the National Tiger Conservation Authority will provide funding for the project, which will be complemented by corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. The idea to introduce cheetahs into India has been met with skepticism from Indian environmentalists, who have cited a lack of prey as one of their reasons. At first, the Kuno National Park was established for the relocation of the Asiatic Lion, but in recent years, this plan has been replaced by the cheetah relocation plan.
According to Ravi Chellam, wildlife biologist & conservation scientist, “If introduction of the African cheetah is a priority, why hasn’t it been included in our National Wildlife Action Plan? Lions are also top predators, and their translocation has been mandated by the Supreme Court in 2013. This is a vanity project.” He added, “The press release mentions that the MoU’s objectives include the sustainable use of biodiversity. It was reported that Namibia had sought India’s support to overturn the CITES ban of ivory trade. It’s important to review the details of the MoU for us to understand what really has been agreed to by India.”
