India, Botswana Cheetah Translocation Pact

Brief Context

In News India and Botswana formally announced the translocation of eight Cheetahs to India as a part of ‘Project Cheetah’. About India declared the cheetah extinct in 1952, after decades of over-hunting, habitat fragmentation, and depletion of prey species. The launch of Project Cheetah in 2022 and the arrival of cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa created the world’s first intercontinental relocation programme for a large carnivore.

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Syllabus: GS3/ Environment

In News

• India and Botswana formally announced the translocation of eight Cheetahs to India as a part of ‘Project Cheetah’.

About

• India declared the cheetah extinct in 1952, after decades of over-hunting, habitat fragmentation, and depletion of prey species. 
• The launch of Project Cheetah in 2022 and the arrival of cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa created the world’s first intercontinental relocation programme for a large carnivore.
• And, Botswana, a landlocked country with nearly 70% of its landmass covered by the Kalahari Desert, holds one of the world’s largest wild cheetah populations.

Project Cheetah

• Overview: Project Cheetah is India’s ambitious attempt to reintroduce the cheetah in suitable open forest and grassland ecosystems. 
• Launched By: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2006).
• Objective: To reintroduce cheetahs into India’s grassland ecosystems and establish a viable, free-ranging cheetah population.
• Global First: It is the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a large wild carnivore.
• Translocations So Far:
  • 8 cheetahs from Namibia in 2022
  • 12 cheetahs from South Africa in 2023
  • 8 cheetahs from Botswana (2025 announcement)

Significance of Reintroducing the Cheetah

• Ecological Restoration: Cheetahs, as apex predators, help regulate prey populations and maintain the health of grassland and open forest ecosystems. Their reintroduction is expected to restore ecological balance and revive degraded grassland biomes.
• Biodiversity Conservation: The cheetah serves as a flagship and umbrella species, helping conserve not only its prey-base but also other endangered species in grassland and semi-arid ecosystems.
• Sustainable Livelihoods: The project aims to boost ecotourism and create economic opportunities for local communities through eco-development and conservation-driven activities.
• Global Conservation: Project Cheetah contributes to the global effort to conserve the cheetah species, especially the vulnerable African cheetah and the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah.

Concerns and Challenges

• Habitat Suitability: Kuno is relatively small for a long-term, self-sustaining cheetah population. 
• High Mortality: Several deaths (disease, conflict, heat stress) have been recorded since 2023 have raised questions about preparedness, disease screening, and enclosure design.
• Human–Wildlife Conflict: Cheetahs may venture into farmland due to porous boundaries. India lacks a historical memory of living with cheetahs, creating management gaps.
• Climate and Ecological Mismatch: African cheetahs are adapted to open savannahs; India’s landscapes are patchier. India’s prey density still needs improvement in some sites.

Source: TH