PM Modi Said The Project Cheetah, Is His Government’s Endeavour Towards Environment And Wildlife Conservation. 8 Cheetahs Were Flown In From Namibia Into Special Enclosures In Kuno National Park In Madhya Pradesh.
Recognizing The Wild Cats:
What Is Project Cheetah?
- The Basic Aim Of Project Cheetah Is To Revitalize And Diversify India’s Wildlife And Its Habitat. The Government Said That ‘Project Cheetah’ Is World’s First Inter-continental Large Wild Carnivore Translocation Project.
- Cheetahs Were Declared Extinct In India 70 Years Ago. And Exactly Seven Decades Later, The Same Spotted Cats Are Being Reintroduced Under The Plan Called ‘Project Cheetah’. These 8 Cheetahs Include 5 Females And 3 Males.
How Does Project Cheetah Work?
- The Project Aims To Re-Establish The Species In Its Historical Range In India & Developing Metapopulation In India That Allows The Cheetah To Perform Its Functional Role As A Top Predator And Provide Space For The Expansion Thereby Contributing To Its Global Conservation Efforts.
- The Reintroduction Of Wild Species Particularly The Cheetah Is Being Undertaken As Per The International Union For Conservation Of Nature (IUCN) Guidelines. The Basic Aim Of The Project Is To Revitalize And Diversify India’s Wildlife And Its Habitat.
The Efforts Behind ‘Project Cheetah’:
- In January 2020, The Supreme Court Approved Reintroduction Of African Cheetah To A Suitable Habitat In India. This Was Made Possible Almost 10 Years After The Plan Was Envisaged By The Then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Under The UPA-2 Government.
- The Discussions To Bring The Cheetah Back To India Were Initiated In 2009 By The Wildlife Trust Of India. Experts From Across The World, Officials Of The Government Of India Including the MoEFCC And State Governments Met And Decided To Conduct Site Surveys To Explore The Reintroduction Potential.
Action Plan For Introducing Cheetah In India:
- In January 2022, The Centre Launched An Action Plan For Introducing Cheetah In India.
- Under The Project, 50 Cheetahs Will Be Introduced In Various National Parks Over 5 Years.
- Cheetah Happens To Be The Only Large Carnivore That Got Extinct From India Due To Overhunting And Habitat Loss.
Why ‘Project Cheetah’ Is Crucial?
- The Introduction Of The Cheetah Is Not Only A Species Recovery Program But Also An Effort To Restore The Ecosystems With A Lost Element That Played A Crucial Role In Their Evolutionary History.
- Cheetahs Will Help In The Restoration Of Open Forest And Grassland Ecosystems In India. This Will Help Conserve Biodiversity And Enhance The Ecosystem Services Like Water Security, Carbon Sequestration, Soil Moisture Conservation, and Benefiting The Society At Large.
- This Effort Will Also Lead To Enhanced Livelihood Opportunities For The Local Community Through Eco-development And Ecotourism Activities. Apart From Helping Us Out In Maintaining The Ecological Balance.
In pics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the cheetahs brought from Namibia to their new home Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
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