Cheetah Reintroduction

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

• India and Namibia sign agreement and India came one step closer to bringing back the world’s fastest animal to the country.
• The cheetah was declared extinct in the country in 1952.
• The agreement will prepare the ground for the relocation of the first batch of cheetahs from southern Africa to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park.
• Plans for the cheetah translocations to Kuno are in compliance with the IUCN’s guidelines, with particular focus on the forest site quality, prey density and the current carrying capacity for a large mammal like the cheetah.
• Kuno had earlier been identified for the translocation of Gujarat’s Gir lions, but the State government has refused to allow them to be transferred out.
• While the current carrying capacity for the Kuno National Park is a maximum of 21 cheetahs, once restored, the larger landscape can hold about 36 cheetahs.

Kuno National Park 

• Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh is one the most unique destination for all wildlife lovers and enthusiasts. 
• Government of Madhya Pradesh realising the significance of this place established the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary of about 345 square km in 1981.
• In December 2018 it was upgradation of Kuno Sanctuary to Kuno National Park further cements it’s importance in the field of Wildlife Conservation.

Asiatic cheetah

• Acinonyx:  Jubatus Venaticus
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
• CITES: Appendix-I of the List

African Cheetah

• Acinonyx: Jubatus Jubatus
• IUCN: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix-I of the List