Gajner (Rajasthan): Moving a step closer to reintroduce the cheetah to the Indian wild, experts from across the world gathered at the Gajner Palace, Bikaner, Rajasthan, to work out a roadmap for the Cheetah Reintroduction Project, proposed by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

The two-day meeting began today to examine the possibility to reintroduce the species, which was extirpated from India about six decades ago.

Jairam Ramesh, Honorable Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, communicated, “I feel that we owe it to the animal whose very name is derived from Sanskrit and that was once so ubiquitous in our country to at least analyse the pros and cons, examine the advantages and risks in a dispassionate and professional manner drawing on the best international expertise on the subject.”

“Personally, I feel that we would be reclaiming a part of our wonderful and varied ecological history if the cheetah was to be reintroduced in the wild but I will be guided by the consensus amongst the experts on this matter.”

The meeting debated several primary issues pertaining to cheetah reintroduction including habitat and prey availability, man-animal conflict, professional project management and source of the reintroduction stock, amongst others. The meeting was chaired by Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, Chairman, HRH Group of Hotels, Udaipur, and was attended by officials from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Chief Wildlife Wardens of four states – Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh – that hold potential sites for cheetah reintroduction, representatives from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), IUCN, international cheetah experts, and members of Indian and International NGOs.

Dr MK Ranjitsinh, Chairman, WTI, stressed the benefits of cheetah reintroduction, to the endangered grassland-woodland habitats of India, and the fauna and flora within. “If the project succeeds, we will not only be returning the species to India, but will also be securing grasslands, which despite being the most productive, are also among the least studied and excessively neglected of Indian habitats, and a number of endangered species that survive within these habitats will also benefit,” he said.

Dr Yadvendradev Jhala of the WII presented a comparative study of the potential cheetah reintroduction sites in India. He said that in terms of habitat suitability, density of human settlements, and other considerations, cheetah reintroduction was possible in certain sites. However, site-specific management would be necessary and these sites should be studied in greater detail before a final selection can be recommended.

Dr Rajesh Gopal, Member Secretary, NTCA, highlighted the potential threats to reintroduced animals, comparing it with those faced by the tiger in India.

The Chief Wildlife Wardens (CWLW) of the four states gave a pragmatic assessment of the ground realities for the project. They summed up the concerns raised during the meeting, and pointed out that several issues such as habitat, prey availability, conflict with humans, associated with the proposed reintroduction will have to be examined in greater detail.

The meeting also addressed the issue of the source of seed stock for reintroduction. Several foreign experts participating in the meeting endorsed the project’s proposal of bringing cheetahs from Africa for reintroduction.

Dr Stephen J O’Brien, the world’s leading conservation geneticist, and the Chief of the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA, said that the African and Iranian cheetah are genetically very similar. They are just 4500-5000 years apart, which is not enough even for a sub-species level differenciation. In comparison, the African and the Asiatic lion sub-species were separated about 100,000 years ago; likewise, the African and Asian leopard sub-species were separated about 169,000 years ago. “Your decisions should not be based on the genetic arguments,” he added, as there is no significant difference between the African and the Asiatic cheetah.

Dr Laurie Marker, renowned cheetah expert based in Namibia, advised, “Cheetahs have gone extinct from 15 countries in the last 60 years. Iran has less than 100 cheetahs. For reintroduction purposes, I will not recommend taking any individuals from Iran.”

At the end of the session, the chairperson, Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar expressed optimism about the project, saying that required expertise is available, and recommended a prudent and professional study of the entire project prior to implementation. He further offered his enthusiastic support.

The WTI and WII will develop a detailed blueprint of the project, to be presented to the authorities for their consideration.