Is India ready for Cheetahs?
The Asiatic cheetah, which once roamed in India, are now found in Iran
If sources are to be believed, cheetahs shall be coming to India soon. They will be air-lifted either from South Africa or from Namibia.This fastest running predator which became extinct in the country during the 1950s, are set to be relocated and may be put up either in Madhya Pradesh or in Rajasthan.
Bihar too have showed interest to host the Cheetahs.
Ranjitsinh, a prince from Wankaner in Saurashtra and a 1961 IAS batch officer, has been raising his voice for cheetah’s re-entry in the country since last many years. He was also nominated as the chairman of a three-member committee formed by the Supreme Court.
A sum of Rs 2.5 crore has been sanctioned to WII by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to facilitate this wild cat’s entry into India.
The Asiatic Cheetah survives in Iran only and as this country is disinterested to part with it to any country, the only option left is the African Cheetah and South Africa and Namibia are apparently willing to export to India.
Meanwhile, the impact of this fastest running animal in Indian conditions is being re-examined, as this animal basically needs open and scrub habitat promising a grass cover and abundant feed. However, India lacks such large tracts of habitats which does exist in its African homes.
Hence, it raises questions such as “Will village population face the brunt in the suggested areas?”. “What will the villagers feel when the predator will pick up their sheep, goat, poultry, etc?”. Have the Indian foresters chalked out any plan in this perspective. Presently, there is tigers Vs the villagers. Now will Cheetah add to worries or solve them?Cheetahs are endangered species, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). Around 7,100 cheetahs are left in the wild.
