A brand new study by the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), which examines the moral, ecological and welfare challenges related to the translocation of African cheetahs to India, has expressed concern over the translocation of the animals and in addition raised questions on its scientific advantage and long-term viability.
The study, ‘Delineating the environmental justice implications of an experimental cheetah introduction project in India’, was printed in Frontiers in Conservation Science.
According to CWS, the study highlights that the translocation of African cheetahs to India has resulted in important welfare challenges, with a mortality price of 40%-50% within the first part of the mission, far beneath the anticipated survival price of 85%.
20 launched to KNP
Under Project Cheetah, to date 20 African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023 have been launched into the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh.
CWS additionally mentioned that the cheetahs concerned within the mission have skilled excessive ranges of stress, with over 90 chemical immobilisations and common veterinary interventions, elevating considerations about their bodily and psychological well being.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav throughout the launch of feminine cheetahs ‘Dheera’ and ‘Asha’ and three cubs from a big enclosure into the open forest in Palpur-Kuno National Park on February 5, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
PTI
It additional mentioned that African cheetah populations are already below strain, with solely round 6,500 mature people remaining within the wild.
“With an initial mortality rate of 40%–50% in these cheetahs, currently all individuals are being kept in captivity in India, with plans to import 12 individuals annually till a viable population is established. The researchers of this paper argue that the project’s reliance on a continuous supply of cheetahs from southern Africa, is neither ecologically sustainable nor ethical,” it mentioned.
The study was led by Yashendu Chinmayee Joshi, Doctoral Fellow on the Centre for Wildlife Studies, together with co-authors Stephanie E. Klarmann, Blood Lions Non Profit Company (NPC) and University of Johannesburg, South Africa; and Louise C. de Waal, Blood Lions Non Profit Company (NPC), South Africa.
Justice-informed strategy
The authors have recommended {that a} extra justice-informed strategy would be certain that conservation choices are primarily based on inclusive, participatory processes, which keep in mind the varied values folks place on nature.
“Our current approach risks overlooking diverse knowledge systems and values, the nuanced ways in which people interact with nature, their perceptions of wildlife, and importantly, their consent to bear the consequences of such initiatives. Conservation efforts should focus more on their ability to maintain sustainable shared spaces between humans and wildlife, rather than causing further division and distress,” mentioned Mr. Joshi.
Published – February 19, 2025 05:43 pm IST
