Two years of Project Cheetah: Govt outlines next steps for growing big cat population

Two years of Project Cheetah: Govt outlines next steps for growing big cat population

Sub: Env

Sec: Species in news

Context:

• Project Cheetah, an ambitious conservation initiative in India, has released its 2023-24 annual progress report, highlighting key strategies and challenges in reintroducing cheetahs to the country.

Key Points of the report:

• Long-term Goal:
  • Establish a metapopulation of 60-70 cheetahs across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan over the next 25 years.
  • A metapopulation refers to a species population spread over a large, interconnected landscape.
• Geographical Scope:
  • Districts of Bhind and Datia in MP, Dholpur in Rajasthan as well as Lalitpur and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh adjacent to this landscape would be incorporated as part of the landscape depending on cheetah’s use of the region.
• Focus Areas:
  • Kuno-Gandhi Sagar landscape, spanning protected areas and forest divisions in both states.
  • This area includes about 6,800 sq km of contiguous forested habitat outside Kuno National Park, with 3,200 sq km highly suitable for cheetahs.
  • Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary area offers an additional 2,500 sq km of savannah grassland and open woodlands.
• Conservation Strategy:
  • Emphasis on protecting large, connected habitats to accommodate cheetahs’ natural behavior of exploring vast areas.
  • The landscape conservation plan is estimated to take at least 10 years to achieve its targets.
• Challenges:
  • Competition with leopards for prey in Kuno National Park.
  • Deficit in chital (spotted deer) population, a primary food source for cheetahs.
• Proposed Solutions:
  • Augment prey populations, particularly chital and blackbuck.
  • Implement captive breeding of prey species in predator-proof enclosures within Kuno National Park.
  • Address a prey deficit of about 1,500 chitals in Gandhi Sagar sanctuary.
• Current Status:
  • 20 cheetahs were initially translocated in 2022-23.
  • Currently, 24 cheetahs survive (12 adults and 12 cubs).
  • 13 cheetah deaths have been reported since the project’s inception.

Source: IE