Eye on second baby boom, Botswana Cheetah released in MP’s Gandhi Sagar sanctuary
Worth reading — 1 past UPSC question on this theme (Prelims GS-1 2023).
2-minute summary
Madhya Pradesh wildlife authorities have relocated a three-year-old female cheetah, CCB-2, from Kuno National Park to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. This transfer aims to establish Gandhi Sagar as a viable second home for cheetahs in India under Project Cheetah, supplementing Kuno National Park. Gandhi Sagar, located across the Mandsaur-Neemuch region along the MP-Rajasthan border, now houses four cheetahs (two males and two females), providing a balanced demographic base for future breeding. The relocation follows recent milestones in the initiative, including the birth of four second-generation cubs at Kuno by an India-born female, bringing India's total cheetah population to 56. Project Cheetah, which completed four years in September 2022, represents the world's first intercontinental translocation of large carnivores, bringing African cheetahs to re-establish a species that became extinct in India in 1952. Wildlife officials intend to create multiple interconnected, sustainable habitats across central India to secure long-term genetic diversity and population viability.
Why it's in the news
A Botswana-born female cheetah (CCB-2) was relocated from Kuno National Park to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh to balance the sex ratio and kickstart a breeding population at the sanctuary.
Facts to remember
- Madhya Pradesh wildlife authorities relocated a three-year-old female cheetah named CCB-2 from Kuno National Park to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
- The transfer aims to establish Gandhi Sagar as a viable second home for cheetahs in India under Project Cheetah.
- Project Cheetah represents the world's first intercontinental translocation of large carnivores, bringing African cheetahs to re-establish a species extinct in India since 1952.
Background and context
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) was officially declared extinct in India in 1952, primarily due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and extensive hunting. To reverse this historical ecological loss, the Government of India launched 'Project Cheetah' in September 2022. It marks the world's first intercontinental large wild carnivore translocation project, initially sourcing African cheetahs from Namibia and subsequently from South Africa and Botswana. Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh was chosen as the primary initial release site due to its suitable grassland-forest mosaic, prey base, and protected status. Over the past four years, the project has achieved significant milestones, including successful adaptation to the wild, hunting of native prey, and the birth of second-generation cheetah cubs on Indian soil. However, the project has also faced biological and management hurdles, including mortalities due to diseases and territorial fights, prompting wildlife authorities to expand the geographical footprint by developing Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary as a secondary home.
Constitutional provisions
- Article 48A — Directs the State to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.
- Article 51A(g) — Imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.
Government schemes
- Project Cheetah — The overarching national program for reintroducing the cheetah into historical ranges in India, implemented in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and international experts.
International organisations
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) — Classifies the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) globally as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List, with specific subspecies (such as the Asiatic cheetah) listed as 'Critically Endangered'.
Previous UPSC questions on this theme
- Prelims GS-1 2023 — Consider the following fauna : 1. Lion-tailed Macaque 2. Malabar Civet 3. Sambar Deer How many of the above are generally nocturnal or most active after sunset? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None
Mains practice: Discuss the ecological rationale and administrative challenges behind Project Cheetah in India. Examine how intercontinental translocations contribute to biodiversity conservation.
Introduction:
Project Cheetah represents a historic ecological initiative aimed at rectifying a historical wrong—the extinction of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) from India in 1952. As the world's first intercontinental translocation of a large wild carnivore, it seeks to restore India's open forest and grassland ecosystems.
Ecological Rationale:
• Ecosystem Restoration: The cheetah acts as a flagship species for the recovery of degraded grassland-savanna ecosystems, which have historically received less conservation focus compared to dense forests.
• Biodiversity Enhancement: Restoring top predators helps re-establish natural trophic cascades, maintaining herbivore populations and ensuring habitat health.
• Global Conservation: Creating new self-sustaining populations hedges against extinction risks in the species' native African range.
Administrative and Biological Challenges:
• Habitat and Prey Base Limitations: Ensuring adequate prey density (like chital and blackbuck) and vast contiguous landscapes free from intense anthropogenic pressure.
• Adaptation and Mortality: Handling natural mortalities, territorial clashes among males, and medical challenges posed by monsoon-related tick infections in foreign-coated African cheetahs.
• Spatial Expansion: Managing human-wildlife interface issues as cheetahs venture outside protected boundaries, requiring community engagement and compensation frameworks.
• Demographic Balancing: Maintaining viable sex ratios across multiple sites, as evidenced by recent translocations from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar.
Conclusion:
While Project Cheetah faces complex biological hurdles, expanding secondary habitats like Gandhi Sagar and achieving successful second-generation births demonstrate progressive ecological learning. Long-term success depends on rigorous scientific monitoring, community support, and sustained political will for habitat conservation.
Prelims practice questions
Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus): 1. The cheetah is classified globally as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List. 2. The Asiatic cheetah subspecies is extant in large numbers across the Indian subcontinent. 3. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is located along the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B. Statement 1 is correct: The cheetah is globally listed as 'Vulnerable' by the IUCN. Statement 2 is incorrect: The Asiatic cheetah is critically endangered and is practically extinct in India (and found only in a very small population in Iran), which led to the African cheetah reintroduction project. Statement 3 is correct: Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across the Mandsaur-Neemuch region along the Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan border.
Q2. Project Cheetah, often in the news, involves the intercontinental translocation of cheetahs to India. Which ministry is the nodal agency overseeing this project?
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Ministry of Science and Technology
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Answer: B. Project Cheetah is implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and international cheetah experts.
Q3. With reference to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, recently seen in the news, consider the following statements: 1. It has been developed as a second designated home for cheetahs in India alongside Kuno National Park. 2. It is situated along the Chambal river basin. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: C. Both statements are correct. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, situated along the northern boundary of Mandsaur and Neemuch districts of Madhya Pradesh adjoining Rajasthan, is traversed by the Chambal River and has been chosen and developed as the second home for cheetahs to expand the geographical footprint of Project Cheetah.
Revision flashcards
- When was the cheetah officially declared extinct in India? 1952
- What is the global IUCN status of the cheetah? Vulnerable
- Which sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh was recently developed as a second home for cheetahs alongside Kuno National Park? Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary
- Project Cheetah in India involves sourcing animals primarily from which continent? Africa (Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana)
- Which constitutional provisions in India explicitly direct the protection of wildlife? Article 48A (Directive Principles of State Policy) and Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duties)