The re-introduction of African cheetahs 

(MainsGS3:Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.)

Context:

• This year marked the arrival of Namibian cheetahs to India, the first intercontinental transfer of wild cats with eight cheetahs being flown into the Kuno National Park (KNP), Madhya Pradesh.

Conservation efforts:

• The cheetahs (five females and three males) will be released into the wild gradually so that they have enough time to adapt to Indian conditions and are at reduced risk of contracting and spreading infection and have honed the skills to hunt Indian prey.
• Cheetahs were once widespread in India as well as in many parts of the world until they were hunted to extinction. Only around 8,000 of them survived, and overwhelmingly in Namibia and South Africa. 
• As part of improving their odds of long-term survival, young animals are being reared as part of conservation efforts in Namibia and then sent to different parts of the world, including India. 

Fastest land animal:

• Cheetahs on average, live at a very low density as compared to other big cats with 1 individual per 100 sq km. 
• Namibian cheetahs to be successful require at least 10,000-20,000 square kilometres of land to live comfortably.
• These big cats are amongst the most fragile of the big cats whose only edge is their tremendous speed. 
• As the fastest land animal on Earth, cheetahs can cover 100 metres in just three seconds . 
• With a preference for open grasslands (though they can adapt to other ecosystems), they need large swathes of land.

Increasing tiger population:

• Every four years, India carries out a census of the tiger population across India and the latest estimate puts the tiger population at 2,967. 
• Tigers were reportedly increasing at a rate of about 6% per annum and the area that they occupied was roughly stable, at about 89,000 square km since 2014. 
• These numbers are estimated using a sophisticated system that involves photographing animals via camera traps as well as mathematical analysis. 
• In 2006, India had 1,411 tigers. This rose to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in 2014 on the back of improved conservation measures and new estimation methods. 

Consistent implementation:

• The consistent implementation of Project Tiger since 1973, whereby dedicated tiger reserves were established in India, as well as anti-poaching measures have played a significant role in tiger conservation. 
• India has 53 tiger reserves with the latest being added early this year. 
• However, rising tiger numbers have meant that nearly half the tigers are now outside designated protected zones that lead to increasing instances of human-animal conflict.

Conclusion:

• In saving cheetahs, one would have to save not only its prey-base comprising certain threatened species, but also other endangered species of the grasslands and open forest ecosystems, some of which are on the brink of extinction.