Wildlife activist alleges irregularities in Kuno’s cheetah project, calls for probe

Sub :Env

Sec: Protected Area

Context:

There are significant concerns about the management of the Cheetah Project at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Details:

Main Concerns:
- Violations of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
- Gross negligence by KNP authorities
Excessive tranquilization:
- Cheetahs allegedly tranquilized 110 times without required approvalfrom the chief wildlife warden (CWLW) which is a violation of Schedule 1 of Section 11 of the Wildlife Protection Act.
- The Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) is the statutory authority, under the Wildlife Protection Act, who heads the Wildlife Wing of the department and exercises complete administrative control over Protected Areas (PAs) within a state.
- No records maintained for these actions
Death of Cheetah Pawan allegedly due to illegal tranquilization
Violation of NTCA procedures:
- Failure to conduct videography during post-mortems of deceased cheetahs
Poor health monitoring
Unauthorized sampling:
- Numerous samples taken without proper approval
- Findings not shared with NTCA or CWLW

About Project Cheetah:

Initiated in 2022
20 adult cheetahs introduced from Namibia and South Africa
17 cubs born in India, with 12 surviving
Currently, 12 adult cheetahs remain alive (4 from Namibia, 8 from South Africa)
Key objectives include:
- Cheetah Conservation: Restoring cheetah populations and habitats.
- Ecosystem Restoration: Cheetahs are seen as a flagship species for savanna ecosystems in India, which are in need of restoration.
- Long-Term Commitments: The project requires a long-term (25+ years) commitment from India’s Ministry of Environment, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, and the Wildlife Institute of India.
- Global Partnership: India aims to collaborate with Iran and other international bodies to conserve the Asiatic cheetah as well.

Kuno National Park:

It was established, in 1981, as a wildlife sanctuary in the Sheopur and Morena districts.
It was also known as Kuno-Palpur and Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary.
In 2018, it was given the status of a National Park.
It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
The protected area is largely a dry deciduous forest.