On May 18, the Supreme Court asked the centre to rise above politics and consider shifting cheetahs from Madhya Pradesh to Rajasthan. The Court expressed serious concern over the death of three cheetahs translocated from South Africa and Namibia to Kuno National Park (KNP) of Madhya Pradesh in less than two months, though the number went up to six later with the death of three cubs.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sanjay Karol heard an application filed by the Union seeking direction from it that it was no longer necessary and mandatory for the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to continue taking the guidance and advice of the expert committee appointed by the Supreme Court through an order dated January 28, 2020.
In its application, the Union said that annually, 8-14 big cats were required to be brought in from African countries for the next five years at least and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard had been signed between India and two African countries—Namibia and South Africa—for cooperation in the field of cheetah conservation. Further, it was stated by the Union that as per the MoU with South Africa, 12 cheetahs—seven males and five females— were translocated from that country to KNP on February 18, 2023.
The Union claimed that the entire exercise of cheetah introduction in India had been carried out under the expert guidance and supervision of international cheetah experts, scientists, veterinarians, forest officials and NTCA in consultation with the committee appointed by the apex court through an order dated January 28, 2020.
The Court observed that from the reports of experts and articles, it seemed that KNP did not seem to be sufficient for such a large number of cheetahs and the centre may consider shifting them to other sanctuaries. The bench noted that one cheetah had died after suffering injuries during a fight between two males over mating and one had died of a kidney-related ailment. The Court said that it was not doubting the intent of the government, but there were articles and reports of cheetah experts, and therefore, the Union must consider at least one or more habitats for them.
A day after the first death of a cheetah at Kuno, the top court had sought details of experts in the Cheetah Task Force such as their qualification and experience.
In January 2020, the Supreme Court had allowed the centre to introduce the African cheetah to a suitable habitat in India, including Kuno. The Court passed this order on an application filed by the NTCA seeking permission for the introduction of the African cheetah from Namibia as the Court was monitoring the government’s ambitious project.
It was in 2010 that the centre had set up an expert panel for reintroducing the cheetah in India. This panel recommended that the home of the fastest animal in the world could be Kuno-Palpur in Madhya Pradesh, Velavadar National Park in Gujarat and Tal Chapar sanctuary in Rajasthan. The same year, the NTCA filed a plea requesting permission to introduce African cheetahs from Namibia as the animal had become extinct in India.
The last cheetah died in India in 1947. After five years, it was declared extinct and since then, there has been no cheetah in India. Though the government announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone showing a cheetah in the country, it didn’t help. After extinction was confirmed, in the mid-1950s, discussions on cheetah reintroduction in India began soon. Proposals were made to Iran from the 1970s, but failed to fructify due to political instability there. Offers from Kenya were made as early as the 1980s, but that too failed.
Proposals for the introduction of African cheetahs were made by India in 2009 and 2012, but were disallowed by the top court. It was also worried whether the African cheetahs would find the sanctuary favourable as far as abundance of prey was concerned.
Before the Mughal period, the number of cheetahs in the world was very high. The cheetah is a carnivorous animal and habitual hunter, yet it was reared in many countries, including Egypt and India. Cheetahs were also domesticated during the Mughal period, but were used to hunt the enemy. It is said that Akbar had preserved about 1,000 cheetahs during his reign. After this, kings started hunting cheetahs to prove themselves as best hunters. In 1948, King Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya hunted the last three cheetahs remaining in India. It has also been recorded in the Journal of Bombay Natural History Society that there have always been cheetahs in India. But, gradually they disappeared.
The KNP is spread over 748 sqkm on the border of Sheopur and Morena districts on the banks of the Chambal. Although the arrival of cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh, which is also called the tiger state, should not have been a big deal, it has become so because no one has seen cheetahs in the country for the last 70 years.
To trace the history of these cheetahs in India in recent times, on September 17, 2022, eight cheetahs from Namibia arrived in KNP, where they were released as part of the programme to reintroduce them in India. Out of these, five were female and three males. Later in November 2022, five cheetahs were shifted to a larger enclosure for further adaptation after their mandatory quarantine.
Meanwhile in January 2023, South Africa signed an agreement with India to reintroduce cheetahs. On March 11, 2023, a breeding pair—Oban and Aasha—were released together in KNP. On March 22, two more cheetahs, named Elton and Freddie, were released in the Park. The released cheetahs were tracked by radio collars. On May 19, Agni and Vayu (two male cheetahs) and Gamini, a female, were released in KNP.
Sadly, this is one conservation effort that has failed in India.
—By Shivam Sharma and India Legal Bureau
Cheetah deaths
- In the last two months, there were six cheetah deaths in Kuno—three cubs and three adults.
- On March 27, 2023, a female cheetah named Sasha died in Kuno National Park due to kidney complications.
- On April 24, a cheetah named Uday died due to heart failure.
- On May 9, Daksha, a female cheetah died due to a fight with another male cheetah during mating.
- On May 23, a female cheetah cub, one of four born to a female cheetah named Jwala, died. Prima facie, the reason for the cub’s death was weakness.
- On May 25, two more cubs died.