In a historic move, India welcomed eight adult Namibian cheetahs to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on September 17, 2022, marking the first intercontinental translocation of wild cats. This ambitious cheetah project, a flagship wildlife initiative for the Modi administration, has seen about US$58 million in funding redirected for conservation efforts.
However, the project has faced numerous challenges, including the recent death of Pavan, a critical test case for the cheetahs’ adaptation to the Indian wilderness beyond captivity. Dr. Ravi Chellam, a wildlife biologist, believes the project has reached a conservation dead end due to poor planning and implementation.
Despite ongoing efforts to salvage the project, concerns remain about the cheetahs’ well-being and the project’s shifting objectives. With only 12 adult cheetahs and a dozen cubs remaining at Kuno National Park, the future of the reintroduction program hangs in the balance.
As wildlife experts and officials express growing skepticism about the project’s success, the cheetahs’ fate in captivity raises broader questions about conservation strategies and the ethical implications of reintroducing endangered species into the wild.
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