Cheetahs in India!

wind_chariot

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6833186.ece

Central government is planning to reintroduce cheetah back into wild in India. they will be imported from africa as there is no such differentiation as 'african cheetah' and 'asiatic cheetah' as cheetah population in both continents separated just 5000 years ago due to human activitits.

What i am wondering is, do you think it is advisable to reintroduce cheetahs which are extinct in india since 1950s?

and,

Which areas you think is more suitable for future cheetah habitats? I am not talking about states, but in areas particular.

__________________
“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” - Paul Theroux

kutch

Hello friend,

Yes, it is nice to see this positive wildlife conservation / preservation effort and that too endorsed by the Government of India.

The Cheetah requires an open and vast grassland area.

This particular project was conceptualised for Kutch in the private reserve of the Maharao of Kutch. For some reasons it did not see the light of the day. On 9-10 September this particular consultative meeting was held at Gajner in Bikaner WTI, IUCN and the State Goverment. It is learnt that the Bishnois of the region may not accept the programme as they revere the black buck!

But in general, we as a community, must welcome and support the cause. Meanwhile, technically the Iran cheetah would be best suited but it is out numbered in thousands by the African Cheetah. This is not an issue at all.

Good wishes.

wind_chariot

there are only 60 iranian chetahs left. it will not be advisable to further isolate those 60 odd individuals.

i guess aravalli hills (apart from Abu range) will be suitable for cheetahs as it is dry, barren and with small deers and antelope. i do not know if cheetahs are familiar with hilly terrain though...it needs research to know whether cheetahs lived in hills in india before.

namaste_cat

I like the idea in principle, but as they say in the article "India has neither the land nor the funds to sustain cheetahs and the dwindling tiger population". So sad I hope there is a workable solution so the world can do the right thing by these magnificent amazing animals.

wind_chariot

India has funds, but they are not using it correctly. i just read that state governments are not using funds adequately given by central government. in fact, as giving protection to tigers has saved many majestic forests and other creatures like barasingha and numerous other rare ones, saving cheetahs after reintroduction will save open grasslands and arid regions.

i feel best suitable states and rajasthan and gujarat. both have plenty of arid shurblands and grasslands. infact, kutch is the best region as i read report on cnn-ibn. i feel gujarat has nice track record in saving forests and wild species (asiatic lions, asiatc wild ass, over 1000 leopards and numerous rarebird species) i am hopeful that atleast in gujarat especially in Kutch region and in kathiawar peninsuala, there lays greater hopes.

machadinha

Until you posted this, I wasn't even aware cheetahs were indigenous to India. My initial assumption was it would have been a classic case of misunderstanding between panthers and leopards as those are variously called around the world.

So thanks, that's very interesting. Wikipedia mentions that "Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary, 32 km from Bikaner in Rajasthan has been chosen as the abode for Cheetah until a sufficient population built up for reintroduction into former habitats in others parts of India like Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary."

They allude to differences between the Asiatic and African species, but never so clearly as to state whether the two would be compatible; and otherwise outlining some of the usual bickering between, in this case, the Iranian and Indian governments over it. (And stating in the meantime that "cheetah" is in fact derived from the Sanskrit. I really never knew.)

__________________
Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

jituyadav

I would love to see that happen but have to say that it is not a good idea right now. The government is sleeping over the tiger conservation and poachers are having a field day (Damn you China... and anybody who wears the skin and calls himself the man of god). It’s a pity that everyone from the top to the bottom of conservation chain is not passionate about tigers etc, but how much can be made out of it.

__________________
I started with nothing and I still have most of it!

wind_chariot

well, all these odds should not deter us from conservation efforts, right? If cheetahs really arrives, it will create renewed interest in news and awareness in public, which will be beneficial to all other wildlife too.

abracax

There are stupid politicians, and then there are stupid Indian politicians. I guarantee the minister involved did not make any consultation with wildlife or conservation efforts before the came up with this idea. What happened is that some flunky told him cheetah means spotted in Sanskrit - and hey voila, government policy!

__________________
Daane daane pe likha hai khane wale ka naam.

machadinha

Er, no; even just reading around those various applicable Wikipedia articles (and for whatever Wikipedia may be worth) would suggest it's been under the attention of the scientific community there for a while, and so apparently didn't just come up out of the blue.

jituyadav

Although it has been discussed for long and not a spur of the moment idea, but what is the point? There are too many issues to be considered. For example, will there be special funds allocated? Highly unlikely. The funds will be diverted from other conservation projects and they will have another excuse for the failure. Then, what is the success rate of tiger conservation? Pathetic.... so imagine what will happen to poor cheetahs that will be brought here or later put in natural habitat? Unconnected in substance but look at what the government has done to commonwealth games, and that was on top priority !!

kutch

The reintroduction programme of Cheetahs back in India is definitely possible and viable. I have confidence in our Minister, who is a learned man, and us Indians in general for this one of its kind project.

The Aravalis may not be an appropriate area. Kutch is best suited, Gajner and areas around Jodhpur also will be considered.

I hope this elite forum will be more positive - as everything is possible!

jituyadav

Being positive and closing the eyes to reality are two different things. Everything is possible for ministers but previous track record needs to be considered. And we are not elite, that is probably why we are closer to ground realities. Why not start with what we already have, Elephant corridors need immediate attention for starters and it does not require huge infusion of funds. But our ministers will wait till the elephants are extinct and then will make policies to bring them from Africa.

wind_chariot

Cheetahs were in India from thousands of years. just remember, africa was a 'dark continent' and india was a golden country not so long ago. So, europeans came to know about cheetah from india most probably. so, it isn't like 'some flunky told him cheetah means spotted in Sanskrit'. it is europeans who adopted the name 'cheetah' for this speedy animal. There are thousands of references of Cheetah in sanskrit and other scripts and languages in india. and hey, whats wrong with reintroducing a species which was just gone extinct merely 50 years ago due to excessive hunting, not because of natural cause.

wind_chariot

OK. you have a point. but, what about the conservation successes in the case of Asiatic lions, Indian one-horned rhinoceros, Pygmy hog, Gharial, Great Indian bustard, Indian wild ass, Barasingha etc? Why are you soo bogged down by the failure in saving tigers? And i do feel that wild elephants are in good shape in terms of population though their habitat is much fragmented. and finally, look at the leopards. Around 80% of asiatic leopard population is in India, which is in the range of 20000 to 25000.

Have a positive attitude from all these success stories where in some cases, species recovered from just few dozens or even less (14 in case of lions, now around 380 in wild, add 100 or more in captivity).