On 17 September, India will introduce eight cheetahs from Namibia in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. For years, this park awaited Asiatic lions from Gir Forest in Gujarat, their last habitat, but Gujarat never parted with them. The consequences were severe for the lions: from 2013 to 2018, 413 Asiatic lions died, many due to adverse conditions. The Centre’s switch to cheetahs for Kuno probably means the lions lose their shot at a new habitat. NewsClick contacted leading wildlife biologist Dr Ravi Chellam, a member of the expert committee of the central government to oversee the translocation of Asiatic lions, to discuss the fresh concerns in light of the introduction of the cheetah. He says India must preserve local endangered species and respect Supreme Court orders that enjoin translocation of Asiatic lions. Excerpts from an email interview by Rashme Sehgal.
You once described the introduction of cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh as a “vanity project”. Why? The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
— source newsclick.in | Rashme Sehgal | 17 Sep 2022