Indore: Excitement and hopes are up to welcome Southeast African Cheetah to India and residents of Madhya Pradesh have more to cheer as their hopes are backed by previous analysis and experts quoting ‘Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary’ as the most practical and feasible place for the wildcat in the country.
An expert panel formed by the government had shortlisted a number of protected areas where cheetahs could be relocated. These were Kuno-Palpur and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, Velavadar National Park in Gujarat and the Shahgarh bulge in Rajasthan.
Why not Kuno-Palpur?
Though both Kuno-Palpur and Nauradehi both are being considered as feasible habitats for Cheetah, in 2013, the Supreme Court had quashed a decision of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to introduce African cheetahs to Kuno-Palpur.
Kuno had also been shortlisted for introduction of Asiatic Lions from heavily-populated Gir sanctuary in Gujarat in 1995. The decision not to introduce cheetah was taken by SC after Gujarat's legal counsel had put forward the argument that Kuno was being used for the introduction of African cheetah.
Further, it was quoted that introduction and settlement and repopulating of cheetahs would take several years. Hence, reintroduction of lions should only be done after that.
Sadly, MP still waits for lions till date.
Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
Cheetah’s territory: Cheetah’s territory sizes can be location specific; for instance, territories range from 33 to 42 square kilometres in the Serengeti but tend to be larger in the Phinda Private Game Reserve, varying between 57 and 161 square kilometres.
Territorial solitary males establish considerably bigger territories, as large as 777 square kilometres in the Serengeti or 1,390 square kilometres in central Namibia.
Tiger’s territory: A male tiger requires a larger territory, such as one that covers 60 to 100 square kilometres.
Availability at Nauradehi & Territorial fight: Nauradehi has an area of 1197 square kilometres at the moment. This area has been secured by relocating 59 villages. Hence, about 19 square kilometres is gained with every village. As shared by a forest official, this area is likely to increase this year as department is planning relocation of 10 villages near the area, i.e. increase of 190 square kilometres in Nauradehi.
With one family of tigers, i.e. a couple and their three children, Nauradehi has enough grassland cover to host a couple of cheetah providing them bigger territory.
Food Fight in Nauradehi & Current species: Forest officials said that there is very less possibilities of territorial fight between tiger and cheetah as both animals are of different nature. Tiger prey on big animals while cheetah preys on small animals. Hence, there is no direct fight between them for food.
Currently, Indian wolf is the keystone species of Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary. Other carnivores here include: Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, striped hyena, wild dog (Dhole), Bengal fox, Muggar crocodile, golden jackal, and bears.
Other smaller animals often seen are smooth Indian otter, sloth bear and Indian grey mongoose. Herbivores living here include: Four-horned antelope (Chousingha); nilgai (blue bull); chinkara (Indian gazelle); sambar deer; blackbuck antelope; barking deer; grey langur; rhesus macaque, chital (spotted deer); and wild boar.
Reptile species found in Nauradehi includes monitor lizard, mugger crocodile, turtle, tortoise and snakes.
Climate & Weather matches: Cheetahs prefer a habitat with a dry climate, since low humidity and rainfall often correspond with a low level of vegetation. Similarly cheetahs tend to live at altitudes above sea level and sometimes occupy sparsely vegetated mountains.
As per forest officials, the climate and temperature variations in Nauradehi are similar to Namibia. Hence, there is a good chance for Cheetahs’ to easily adjust in Nauradehi.
The last of Asiatic Cheetah in India: Three of the last Asiatic cheetahs recorded from India were shot down in 1947, by Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya. It is in Chattisgarh now, which was Madhya Pradesh back then.
Trapping of large numbers of adult Indian cheetahs, who had already learned hunting skills from wild mothers, for assisting in royal hunts is said to be another major cause of the species rapid decline in India as they never bred in captivity with only one record of a litter ever.
Why we are bringing African Cheetah and not reintroducing Asiatic Cheetah?
Asiatic Cheetah is only found in Iran now. India had requested Iran to send a live pair of the species. However, Iran wanted an Asiatic lion in exchange for a cheetah and that India was not willing to export any of its lions.
Even for cloning, Iran refused Indian scientists to collect their tissue samples.
Southeast African Cheetah: 67,000 old species
Southeast African Cheetah is one of the five sub-species of African Cheetah found in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It is regionally extinct in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
This subspecies is estimated to have diverged from the Asiatic cheetah 32,000 to 67,000 years ago. India is in communication with Africa to bring in Cheetah from Namibia. There have been some rumours about African government sending the pair for free of cost, where India would have to bear only transportation cost.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/nauradehi-wildlife-sanctuary-most-suitable-for-african-cheetah-in-india
https://www.freepressjournal.in/indore/nauradehi-wildlife-sanctuary-most-suitable-for-african-cheetah-in-india
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