The Government of India has decided to introduce the Cheetah, the only large carnivore species that went extinct in Independent India. The Cheetahs for release into the selected sites in India are sourced from the ancestral South African cheetah and Namibian populations depending on the suitability and continued ailability of animals. This international endeavor will not only strengthen the efforts for global conservation of the Cheetah but also the re-establishment of his species in its historical range.
Bringing the Cheetah back to India has very vital and far reaching conservation consequences and we aim to achieve the following ecological objectives:
(i) Re-establish the functional role of the Cheetah in representative ecosystems within its historical range. Here the cheetah will serve as a flagship to save not only its prey-base, but also other endangered species of the grassland and semi-arid ecosystems. Resources invested in these highly exploited and neglected systems will ensure better management and restore their ecosystem services for the country.
(ii) Contribute to the global effort towards conservation of the Cheetah as a species.
(iii) Additionally, Cheetah introduction is likely to improve and enhance the livelihood options and economies of the local communities.
An action plan for introduction of cheetah in India with emphasis on first release site- Kuno National Park as per the latest IUCN Guidelines has been prepared by joint effort of all stakeholders.
For more information please visit the website of Kuno National Park
