Cheetah reintroduction in India

Cheetah cubs with dog (India, 1897).

Reintroduction of Cheetah in India involves the artificial reestablishment of a population of cheetahs into areas where they had previously existed but were hunted into extinction by the British colonial officers and Indian Princes and Royalty; and where their former grassland scrub forest habitats that had been degraded have undergone some revitalization for the purpose with the help of the local forest department of the state and the Indian Central Government funding.

Background

History

A painting depicting Akbar, Mughal emperor of India hunting with locally trapped Asiatic Cheetahs, c. 1602.

Until the 20th century, the Asiatic Cheetah was quite common and roamed all the way from Arabia to Iran, Afghanistan and India. The Asiatic Cheetah was also known as the 'Hunting leopard' in India, and were kept by kings and princes to hunt gazelle. The Moghul Emperor Akbar kept them for hunting gazelle and Blackbucks. He was said to have had 1,000 cheetahs at one time for assisting in his royal hunts. Trapping of large numbers of adult Indian cheetahs, who had already learned hunting skills from wild mothers, for assisting in royal hunts is said to be another major cause of the species rapid decline in India as they never bred in captivity with only one record of a litter ever.^[1]

Extinction

Hunting of Blackbuck with Asiatic Cheetah; Drawn by James Forbes in South Gujarat, India. Oriental Memoirs, 1812.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, the species was already heading for extinction in many areas. The last physical evidence of the Asiatic Cheetah in India was three shot by the Maharajah of Surguja in 1947 in eastern Madhya Pradesh. He also bears the dark honour of holding the record for shooting the most tigers — a total of 1,360.^[2]

In India fifty years ago, prey was abundant, and it fed on the Blackbuck, the Chinkara, and sometimes the Chital and the Nilgai.

...is in low, isolated, rocky hills, near the plains on which live antelopes, its principal prey. It also kills gazelles, nilgai, and, doubtless, occasionally deer and other animals. Instances also occur of sheep and goats being carried off by it, but it rarely molests domestic animals, and has not been known to attack men. Its mode of capturing its prey is to stalk up to within a moderate distance of between one to two hundred yards, taking advantage of inequalities of the ground, bushes, or other cover, and then to make a rush. Its speed for a short distance is remarkable far exceeding that of any other beast of prey, even of a greyhound or kangaroo-hound, for no dog can at first overtake an Indian antelope or a gazelle, either of which is quickly run down by C. jubatus, if the start does not exceed about two hundred yards. General McMaster saw a very fine hunting-leopard catch a black buck that had about that start within four hundred yards. It is probable that for a short distance the hunting-leopard is the swiftest of all mammals.

—Blanford writing on the Asiatic Cheetah in India quoted by Lydekker^[3]

With the death of the last remaining population of the Asiatic Cheetah in India, the species was declared extinct in India is the only animal in recorded history to become extinct from India due to unnatural causes.^[4]

Asiatic Cheetah cubs in India, 1897.

Reintroduction Efforts

Cloning

During the early 2000s, Indian scientists from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, proposed a plan to clone Asiatic Cheetahs obtained form Iran. India requested Iran to translocate one live pair to India. If not possible, Indian scientists requested Iran to allow them collect some live cells of the Cheetah in Iran itself, which can then be made into living cell lines.^[5]

However, Iran refused saying that it would neither send any Cheetahs to India nor would allow Indian scientists to collect their tissue samples. It is said that Iran wanted an Asiatic lion in exchange for a cheetah and that India wasn't ready to export any of its Asiatic lions.^[4] But, the Indian government has again contacted Iran to explore the possibility of it supplying cheetahs to help to re-establish their presence on the subcontinent decades after they were hunted to extinction. The Iranian embassy in Delhi said its government was in the process of “arranging” talks.^[6]

Genetic sub-species level differentiation

Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) has, for a long time, been theoretically classified as a sub-species of the cheetah with the suffix "venaticus" applied at the end of its scientific binomial name Acinonyx jubatus. However, at a Cheetah reintroduction workshop organised in India on 9th September 2009, Stephen J. O'Brien from Laboratory of Genomic Diversity of National Cancer Institute, USA who has in the past conducted numerous prestigious genetic studies - including those on Asiatic lions - said that according to the latest modern genetic studies, it was discovered that the Asiatic cheetah was, in fact, genetically identical to the African Cheetah with which it had separated only about 5000 years ago. This was not enough time for a sub-species level differentiation; O'Brien said that in comparison the Asian and African lion subspecies were separated some 100,000 years ago, as was the African and Asian leopard subspecies 169,000 years ago. Cheetah expert Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and other wildlife experts advised the Indian Government that for reintroduction purposes India should source the Cheetah from Africa where they were much more numerous instead of trying to have some removed from the critically endangered low population of about 70 to 100 or so Asiatic Cheetahs left in Iran.

India's Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, chief wildlife wardens of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, officials of the environment ministry, cheetah experts from across the globe including Laurie Marker from Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), representatives from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) including Yadvendradev Jhala, and IUCN, an international conservation NGO, among others, participated in a meeting about this issue. The conference was organised by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)^[7][8]

Subsequently, in 2011, a much more detailed five year genetic study involving gathering of DNA samples from the wild, zoos and museums in eight countries was published in Molecular Ecology (Journal) on 8th Jan 2011. This newer study concluded that African and Asiatic cheetahs were in reality genetically very distinct and had in fact separated 32000 to 67000 years ago. Sub-species level differentiation had taken place due to longer separation from the African population. ^{[9][10][11][12]} The effect of this latest revelation on India's plan to reintroduce cheetahs to the country is yet unknown.

Introduction of African Cheetah

As the world's last Asiatic cheetah population in Iran is currently classified as critically endangered, with an estimated total of below 100, the cheetah experts felt that it would not be conducive to disturb it. India is therefore exploring an alternate plan of importing the African Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) from some African countries where they are in greater abundance, with a view to breeding them in captivity and then setting them free in protected, semi-arid habitats in India.

Since the Asiatic Cheetah went extinct in India about half a century ago, suggestions to reestablish the cheetah in India have been ongoing^[13][14] but this is the first time that a major conservation NGO like Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has taken it on them and are currently spearheading the Cheetah reintroduction plan in India in collaboration with Wildlife Institute of India (WII). For this purpose a meeting of International cheetah experts was organized in Gajner, near Bikaner in the Indian state of Rajasthan during September 2009. As per the discussions held at the meeting cheetah experts from around the world favored importing African cheetahs from Africa for the proposed reintroduction in India as against getting them from the world's last remnant population of Asiatic Cheetah, also called Iranian cheetah, that only survive in Iran which are currently critically endangered with their entire population estimated to be below 100.^[15][16][17] International experts including Laurie Marker of Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), credited with developing cheetah conservation programmes in a number of countries, including Iran, argues that the world's last Asiatic cheetah population in Iran is abysmally low to spare any individuals for reintroduction efforts in India. Stephen J O’Brien, world's leading conservation geneticist and Chief of the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA, has clarified that there is no significant genetic difference between the African and the Iran's Asiatic cheetah, as per genetic research carried out by him African and Indian cheetahs were only separated just some 5,000 years ago which is not enough for a sub-species level differentiation. "African and Asian cheetahs are similar in nature and have same genetic make-up. So India can have the animal from South Africa if it is not getting from Iran (which has already refused to part with its Asian cheetah)," noted the cheetah genetic expert Stephen J O Brien. At the meeting experts also identified South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and UAE as countries from where the cheetah could be imported for India. "About 5 to 10 animals annually have to be brought to India over a period of 5 to 10 years," recommended another working group, which was formed for exploring sourcing and translocation of the cheetah.^{[4][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]}

The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India has approved the recommendation for a detailed survey of potential reintroduction sites in the four Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, shortlisted during the consultative meeting. Three more Indian states Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are being also considered. This survey will form the basis for the roadmap of reintroduction of cheetah in India, and will be carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII),^[25] in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the concerned state governments with their respective forest departments.^[26][27][28]

Current status

The Ministry of forests and environment of India is now hammering out the details of the cheetah conservation plan. As a first step, a two-day seminar of technical experts on cheetahs was held in Gajner from September 9, 2009. Experts on cheetah, including Divyabhanusinh and M K Ranjitsinh presented their papers on how to go about bringing cheetahs to India.

The initial plans were to bring the cheetahs to Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary. "We want to set up a breeding ground for the cheetahs and Gajner seems to fit the bill perfectly. Thereafter, they will be transported to various states," he added.

India is also in talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran over the possibility of sending a pair of Asiatic Cheetah to India. It is said that Iran wanted an Asiatic lion in exchange for a cheetah and that India wasn't ready to export any of its Asiatic lions. The Iranian embassy in Delhi said that its government was in the process of “arranging” talks.^[4]

The Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said that African cheetahs could be brought to India within three years having just returned from a trip to South Africa, one of the potential source-habitats of cheetahs to be moved to India.

The Wildlife Institute of India is spearheading the project, and will unveil a road map and destination for the African cheetahs — possible options are in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat — by May-end.^[29]

Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and Shahgarh landscape in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan have been selected in by the Wildlife Institute of India as most suitable sites for the reintroduction project.^[30]

Shortlisted Cheetah reintroduction sites in India

Currently, wildlife experts have shortlisted three regions which have the potential to support cheetah populations. The Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and the Shahgarh bulge landscape in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan^[31] have been declared potentially suitable for the reintroduction of the cheetah. The Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh has the potential to hold populations of all four of India's big cats the tiger, the leopard, the Asiatic lion as well as the cheetah, all four of which have coexisted in the same habitats historically before they were wiped out due to over hunting and habitat destruction. Since the Shahgarh Landscape is fenced along the Indo-Pak border region, the addition of more fencing will ensure adequate protection for the cheetah population. The Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (1197km2) is part of a much larger forested landscape (5500km2 ) which can host the cheetah as well.^[32][33][34]

At a future date when sufficient population has built up other former range habitats in India after revitalizing them may also be considered for reintroduction like the Banni grasslands and Desert National Park^[35][36][37] etc.

See also

• Asiatic Cheetah
• Cheetah
• Desert National Park

References

1. ^ http://www.binoygupta.com/wildlife/cheetah-275/
2. ^ http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090726/spectrum/nature.htm
3. ^ Lydekker, R. A. 1893-94. The Royal Natural History. Volume 1
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Rajasthan to be home for cheetahs; by Anindo Dey, TNN, 26 July 2009; Times of India
5. ^ http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/17389/
6. ^ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c5792cd0-81da-11de-9c5e-00144feabdc0.html
7. ^ Experts eye African cheetahs for reintroduction (In INDIA), to submit plan; September 10, 2009; IANS; Thaindian; retrieved 29 Jan 2011
8. ^ Workshop on cheetah relocation begins, views differ; Sep 9, 2009; PTI; Times of India; retrieved 29 Jan 2011
9. ^ Charruau P; C Fernandes; P Orozco-Terwengel; J Peters; L Hunter; H Ziaie; A Jourabchian; H Jowkar; G Schaller; S Ostrowski (2011). "Phylogeography, genetic structure and population divergence time of cheetahs in Africa and Asia: evidence for long-term geographic isolates". Molecular Ecology. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04986.x/pdf. 
10. ^ Three distinct cheetah populations, but Iran's on the brink; Jan 18, 2011; USA TODAY
11. ^ Asian cheetahs racing toward extinction; Jan 24, 2011; Scientific American magazine; retrieved on 29 Jan 2011
12. ^ The Need for Conservation of Asiatic Cheetahs; Jan. 17, 2011; ScienceDaily; retrieved on 29 Jan 2011
13. ^ Cheetahs may soon be on the prowl in Indian woods; by Vinay Madhav; October 27, 1998; The indian express newspaper
14. ^ Book Review: Pug Marks In Time - A superb book documents the history and demise of the cheetah; by Mahesh Rangarajan; Mar 27, 1996; Outlook India Magazine. Also see BOOK: The End of Trail: The Cheetah in India Third Edition; IDI060; by Divyabhanusinh; Paperback (Edition: 2006); Oxford University Press; ISBN 0195686977
15. ^ India to get cheetahs from Namibia; by Neha Sinha; Jul 09, 2009; 2 Page article online; Indian Express Newspaper
16. ^ Cheetah re-introduction plan under discussion; IANS; 2009-09-09; Sify News. See also [1]. See also [2], [3]
17. ^ Experts eye African cheetahs for reintroduction, to submit plan; ICT by IANS; September 11th, 2009; THAILAND NEWS; A news portal for Indians in Thailand. See also at sulekha news [4], [5]
18. ^ Spotted: Lean Cat Rerun - Hunted out from Indian grasslands, the cheetah may tear across the landscape again; by Shruti Ravindran; environment: wildlife; Oct 05, 2009; Outlook India magazine
19. ^ India tries cheetah diplomacy on Iran; By James Lamont in New Delhi; August 5, 2009; Financial Times
20. ^ Plan for cheetah relocation in India; PTI; 8 September 2009; Times of India
21. ^ Workshop on cheetah relocation begins, views differ; PTI; 9 September 2009; Times of India
22. ^ More places identified for housing cheetah; by Anindo Dey, TNN; 11 September 2009; Times of India
23. ^ Cheetahs on their way to Gujarat? 12 September 2009; Times of India
24. ^ India plans return of the cheetah - India plans to bring back the cheetah, nearly half a century after it became extinct in the country. The BBC's Soutik Biswas considers whether it is a good idea.; 20 September 2009; BBC NEWS. Also see [6]
25. ^ "Are the plans to bring the cheetah to India still on? Yes, they are very much on. We have asked the Wildlife Institute of India to prepare a roadmap. We had given them three months, which will expire end of February. So the project is very much on." We got our way with Obama - INTERVIEW/JAIRAM RAMESH, ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS MINISTER (of the Central Government of India); By Soni Mishra; JANUARY 31, 2010; THEWEEK, India
26. ^ EnvironMin seeks roadmap on reintroducing Cheetah; October 08, 2009; Eco News; ZEE NEWS
27. ^ India agrees to cheetah survey - The Indian government has approved a survey of sites which can accommodate the cheetah, in an effort to reintroduce the animal in the country. 9 October 2009; BBC NEWS
28. ^ Ministry nod for Cheetah re-introduction project - Jairam Ramesh conveyed decision to WTI; by Aarti Dhar; Oct 09, 2009; The Hindu; Online edition of India's National Newspaper, Slso see [7]
29. ^ "African cheetahs can be relocated to India in three years, says Jairam". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 27 April 2010. http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/27/stories/2010042760890500.htm. 
30. ^ http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?688765
31. ^ The Times Of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Environment/Flora-Fauna/Rajasthan-to-be-home-for-cheetahs/articleshow/4821200.cms. 
32. ^ Assessing the potential for reintroducing the cheetah in India, 2010. A report on the feasibility of cheetah reintroduction in India, jointly prepared by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India (Ranjitsinh, M. K. & Jhala, Y. V. (2010) Assessing the potential for reintroducing the cheetah in India. Wildlife Trust of India, Noida, & the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, TR2010/001). Also avilable at WII website: [8], [9]. Accessed 01 Feb 2011. Also avilable at Ministry of Environment and Forests (India) website: [10] Accessed 20 Sept 2011.
33. ^ Project Cheetah (Brochure), September 2010, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Accessed 01 Feb 2011.
34. ^ Three Sites Recommended for Reintroduction of Cheetah, Ministry of Environment and Forests, 28-July, 2010, Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India
35. ^ Gujrat misses out on cheetah, Jul 29, 2010, The Times of India newspaper
36. ^ Banni Grassland possible home for cheetahs; Himanshu Kaushik, TNN, 3 October 2009; Times of India
37. ^ Cheetahs on their way to Gujarat?; 12 September 2009; The Times of India

Further reading

• Assessing the potential for reintroducing the cheetah in India, 2010. A report on the feasibility of cheetah reintroduction in India, jointly prepared by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India (Ranjitsinh, M. K. & Jhala, Y. V. (2010) Assessing the potential for reintroducing the cheetah in India. Wildlife Trust of India, Noida, & the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, TR2010/001). Also avilable at WII website: [11], [12]. Accessed 01 Feb 2011. Also avilable at Ministry of Environment and Forests (India) website: [13] Accessed 20 Sept 2011.
• Project Cheetah (Brochure), September 2010, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Accessed 01 Feb 2011.
• Return Of The Cheetah?; October 2010; Sanctuary Asia magazine; India. Accessed 01 Feb 2011.
• Spotted: Lean Cat Rerun; Hunted out from Indian grasslands, the cheetah may tear across the landscape again; Shruti Ravindran; Oct 05, 2009; outlookindia magazine. Accessed 01 Feb 2011.

External links

• Reintroducing the Cheetah in India
• Video of Indian Cheetah being used for hunting Blackbuck, 1939