Reintroduction of the Cheetah to India

I dont think anyone can...

 

There has been a swamp of data on southern / Namibian cheetah, whereas for the other described subspecies genetic research has been far less extensive. See article below:
http://www.catsg.org/cheetah/05_lib...l_2001_Genetic_variation_in_wild_cheetahs.pdf
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04986.x

Admittedly, we have the Stephen O'Brien et al studies and line of thought on cheetah diversity where we all know that cheetah experienced a genetic bottleneck some 10,000 years ago (migration out of North America / stochastic effects).
Conservation Genetics of the Cheetah: Lessons Learned and New Opportunities

However, what may be evident in some conservation genetic studies may not be as self-evident in morphological or phenotypic studies of cheetah from various regional areas in Africa and the Near East/Asiatic connection.

I remain convinced that on the basis of morphological / taxonomic evidence the case for separating and recognising regional ESU and subspecies stands.

Just look at North African Sahelian cheetah and Asiatic cheetah and compare these to southern African cheetahs and the little evidence in first paper on North-East African and East African cheetah where those samples clearly misalign with any southern/Namibian cheetah.

 

@Kifaru Bwana Whilst I'm interested in your response, Just to clarify, I was talking about the Southern Asian mainland tiger subspecies.

 

Interesting article although odd they would release more males.
The world's fastest cat is returning to India (msn.com)

 

Not really, given that the mating behaviour of Cheetah involves competition between rival males to mate the female. So they need enough males to mirror that in their new home.

 

I would have thought the Indian government would have made the more sensible decision of focusing on the conservation of still extant felids.

Especially given the dire situation of their Asiatic lion, Indian tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard and the troubling situation facing many of the smaller felines like the fishing cat, marbled cat and therusty spotted cat.

 

The evaluation done by highly respected wildlife expert Dr. Karanth on this highly contentious project is rather poignant and blunt: a doomed project.

 

Do you have a link to that paper ? I'd be interested in reading the evaluation

 

Update of the plans :

https://science.thewire.in/environm...H6apMfQBXS6tni77wxS-VQmBi480LdUynDBJUX9jDNZW4

 

I hope there are some smaller prey species available too. Sambar & Nilgai are large creatures for a Cheetah to pull down, and Wild Boar, being aggressive, would probably not run or would fight back. I think Cheetah prefer more gazelle-sized prey.

 

Perhaps a breeding program for Blackbuck could work for breeding and release?

 

This plan is so absolutely flawed it hurts. Political sentiments and unscientific planning and rationale will lead to a disaster in the making.

And NO importing southeastern African cheetah is NOT a reintroduction effort. Also, the park is way too small and does not have prey basis suiting cheetah AND it was the planned real reintroduction site previously for Asiatic lIons.

 

Arrival of the African cheetah delayed :

Translocation of cheetahs from Africa to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno delayed

 

The reintroduction enclosure is being stocked with axis deer (chital) from other parks like Pench. Historically, Indian cheetahs would've eaten more blackbuck and chinkara gazelle in India's open grassland and semiarid habitats, but the park that has been chosen for reintroduction (Kuno) is more forested. It has the antelopes (and small grassland areas) too but not in sufficient numbers, apparently.

 

Sounds to me like a suboptimal location for a cheetah reintroduction, then.

 

This sounds a very ill-concieved project to me too. Passing over the fact it is the wrong species/subspecies of Cheetah in the first place, the prey base sounds bordering on unsuitable while with Cheetahs being open plain dwellers and sight-hunters/chasers, a forested habitat seems very unsuitable. If a project was doomed to failure- if it actually happens that is,- then this seems to be it...

 

A cheetah is a cheetah, but I don't think any cheetah will do well in woodlands.

 

For sure. Kuno was originally earmarked for translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir to make a 2nd viable lion population in India. Lots of villages were relocated outside the park to ready it for lion arrivals. I think that "infrastructure" - the removal of (most) resident humans - was just repurposed for cheetah.

India has a few degraded grasslands that could've been restored using the cheetah as a flagship and economically viable tourism species. Kinda wish they'd done that instead.

 

The cheetahs are on their way now.

India reintroduces cheetahs to wild after big cats airlifted from Namibia

 

The cheetahs have arrived in India and been released into acclimation pens where they will spend the next few weeks.

https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1571061687654182913?s=20&t=wOAi6AlysNOtVmOhDZvdnQ