(FOR BHUPI SIR: SUNDAY SPECIAL) Indian wildlife officials still learning behaviour of cheetahs at KNP

Bhopal, July 15 (IANS) The death of two adult cheetahs - Tejas and Suraj within period of one week at Kuno National Park (KNP) of Madhya Pradesh has once again risen debate over world's first intercontinental translocation of "project cheetah". 

A couple of Madhya Pradesh-based wildlife officials having experiences of decades spoke to IANS maintained that "it is too early to draw any conclusion about the project cheetah and their survival in India." 

They were also of the view that forest officials and veterinarians associated with the Kuno cheetah projects are just following the instructions regarding protocols received from the expertise of South African wildlife experts and veterinarians. 

It has also learnt that wildlife experts are learning the behavior and nature of African and Namibian cheetahs brought to India as they are familiar with tiger and many other wild animals but not of cheetah. 

"Monitoring of cheetahs is being done on the basis of instructions and guidance received from South African experts. Prescriptions regarding cheetahs' health and medicines are received from South Africa, as Indian wild life experts are not very much familer with their behavior," said Madhya Pradesh-based Indian Forest Service (IFS) official.

Alok Kumar, another senior IFS officer, who retired as Chief Principal Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) said cheetahs brought to Kuno have come from a different landscape and climate and they would gradually adopt Indian climate and environment. He also denied any possibility of lack in monitering of cheetahs at Kuno National Park, adding that the entire world is watching on this project and it's a matter of prestige for India. 

"Cheetah project is at preliminary stage and therefore it would wrong to make any assessment as it is intercontinental translocation. At what level success we get in this project, it would be clear after four-five years. With regular monitoring of cheetahs, wildlife officials and veterinarians are learning their behaviour on daily basis," Verma added. 

Notably, two cheetahs – both males brought in from South Africa – have died in five days leading toll to eight – with five adults and three newborn cubs perishing in less than four months. There are now 15 adults and one cub surviving at KNP.
Deaths of cheetahs have cast deeper shadows on the ambitious inter-continental translocation project. Eight Cheetahs were brought in from Namibia on September 17 and 12 from South Africa on February 18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch of Namibian Cheetahs with much fanfare at KNP on September 17, which was his birthday.

However, Madhya Pradesh-based wildlife activists were firm on their views that lack in accountability causing damages on project cheetah and the central government and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) the nodal agency of project should take promt action.

"We don't have expertise of cheetah that is understood, but what surprise that several team of officials have visited to South Africa and Namibia before translocating cheetahs to India and therefore, the question arise what they have learnt? If we are treating cheetahs here at Kuno and still we are depending on medicines from South Africa, then it's very dangerous situation," Pushpendra Dwivedi, a wildlife activist said. 

Source: IANS