Paper: GS – III, Subject: Environment and Ecology, Topic: Biodiversity and Conservation, Issue: Cheetah Reintroduction.
Context:
The Madhya Pradesh government’s plan to establish a second population of cheetahs at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary marks a crucial new chapter in India’s ongoing cheetah reintroduction program.
- After the rewilding of the big cat in Kuno National Park following its extinction in 1952, India now seeks to expand the species’ range, reduce overcrowding in Kuno, and ensure genetic diversity by creating additional breeding populations.
- This approach reflects a foundational principle in wildlife conservation: species survival improves with multiple secure and viable habitats.
Key Takeaways:
Key Points of the Gandhi Sagar Plan:
Second Habitat Creation:
- Objective: Reduce dependence on Kuno and mitigate risks of disease or mortality wiping out the population.
- Distance: Gandhi Sagar is ~280 km away from Kuno, strategically chosen within a large landscape.
Current Status:
- Two males (Prabhash and Pavak) released in April 2025.
- One female to be introduced after the monsoon for controlled mating.
Breeding Biology:
- Females reach puberty at ~29 months and usually have 3–6 cubs after a 3-month gestation.
- Cubs grow rapidly (45 g/day) and require intense maternal effort in hunting and protecting.
Active Monitoring:
- Continuous tracking of hunts and feeding using radio collars and camera traps.
- Veterinary monitoring of cubs (weight, survival) especially during early weeks – a practice adopted after cub deaths in 2023 due to heat stress.
- Surveillance with cameras and inspections during hunting absence of mothers for minimal disturbance.
Learning from Past Risks:
- In 2023, Daksha, a female cheetah, died during a violent mating attempt with males. Hence, planned and close monitoring is critical to avoiding such conflicts during the Gandhi Sagar program
| Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary: Spread across 368 sq. km in Madhya Pradesh. Vegetation: It has a mix of grasslands, dry deciduous forests, and riverine evergreen patches. Fauna: It supports an adequate prey base for Cheetah, including chinkara, nilgai, chital, wild pig, peafowl etc. |
About Cheetah:
- The cheetah is a large cat and the world’s fastest land animal.
- Characteristics: They have a slender body with long legs, a small round head, and distinctive black spots on their tan fur.
- They are carnivorous animals and hunt mainly small to medium-sized antelopes such as gazelles and impalas.
- They inhabit diverse scrub forests, dry grasslands, savannas and other arid and semi-arid open habitats.
Distribution of Cheetahs:
- Historically, Asiatic Cheetahs had a very wide distribution in India (from Punjab to southern Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan to Bengal).
- In 1952, the cheetah was declared officially extinct in India.
- Today, four subspecies of Cheetahs are recognised that are native to Africa and central Iran. (present in fragmented habitats in Iran, Sahara Desert, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa etc.)
Threats and Conservation status:
- Threats: Habitat loss, conflict with humans, poaching and high susceptibility to diseases.
- Protection Status: IUCN Status: Vulnerable
- Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule II
- CITES: Appendix I
- Cheetah Conservation Fund (1990): An international non-profit organization headquartered in Namibia, founded in 1990 for the conservation of cheetahs and their ecosystems.
Cheetah Reintroduction in India – Gandhi Sagar Action Plan:
Conclusion:
The Gandhi Sagar project represents the next critical phase of Project Cheetah in India, shifting from establishing survival in one location (Kuno) to ensuring long-term viability through multiple interconnected populations. While challenges of prey density, predator conflicts, climatic risks, and genetic bottlenecks remain, careful planning and adaptive management can help overcome them.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/madhya-pradesh-cheetah-mating-gandhi-sagar-kuno-10245508
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