Cheetah translocation

Cheetah translocation

Subject : Environment

Aim of translocation:

• To restore India’s “historic evolutionary balance” and develop a cheetah “metapopulation” that will help the global conservation
• It will revive grassland-forests and its biome and habitat
• The translocation project has also helped conservation efforts in Africa, in particular SouthAfrica (Today, 4,500 of the world’s 7,000 cheetahs in SouthAfrica).

Why was Kuno National Park chosen?

• Both cheetahs and Asiatic lions share the same habitat of  semi-arid grasslands and forests that stretch across Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. 
• Kuno itself has a healthy prey base (chital, sambhar , neelgai, wild pig, gazelle, langur, peafowl)
• Kuno is located in the rainfall level, temperature and altitude are similar to conditions in South Africa Namibia.

Issues in translocation:

• The difficulty to find genetically suitable animals and genetic viability. Animals will remain susceptible to demographic and environmental events in such a broken landscape.
• This can lead to inbreeding depression in the new population.
• Physical security, enough space, and ample food are the concerns.
• It furthers habitat fragmentation.
• Homing instincts: most animals have an uncanny ability to sense direction and, if displaced, find their way back, risks losing the target site, also inviting conflict with people coming in the way of a homebound carnivore walking through unfamiliar territories.

Moving wild animals to locations for conservation across the world: