Reintroduction of Cheetahs In India
After 12 years of discussions, the governments of India and Namibia signed the MoU for the cheetah reintroduction project.

A non-releasable cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia chases after a lure for he daily exercise.

Photos by: Jennifer Leigh Warner

Exclusive images of indian research team at the cheetah conservation fund in namibia

India’s Asiatic cheetah population was declared extinct in 1952, due to hunting, habitat loss and food scarcity, writes BBC News’ Nadeem Shad. It’s the only large carnivore thought to have gone extinct in the country, per Al Jazeera. The reintroduction of African cheetahs will coincide with India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations.

Bandhavgarh National Park is in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

When you think of India thoughts of the Jungle book may come to mind. Or perhaps it is the 1.38 billion people that live there that you think of.

Local vendors at a street market in Kolkata India, the capital of India's West Bengal state.

Now after 12 years of careful planning India will be getting a new reputation. For the first time researchers will be reintroducing the previously extinct cheetah back into the country.

A non-releasable cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia

collaboration

In 2022 a team of researchers from India traveled to Namibia to learn from the experts at the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Indian research team works with the Cheetah Conservation biologists during a cheetah workup for a wild cheetah set to be released.

The team from India learn everything from medical workup for cheetahs, to caring for captive cheetahs and working with scat detection dogs to learn more about cheetah health and genetics.

Scat Detection Dogs

Tim Hofmann, CCF’s Scat Detection Dog expert shares techniques for obtaining information about wild cheetahs through the collection of cheetah scat.

Tracking Collars

Cheetah Conservation Fund ecologists explains how tracking collars work for transmitting information on cheetahs released back into the wild.

About cheetahs

According to CCF, the cheetah is the world’s fastest land animal and Africa’s most endangered big cat. Uniquely adapted for speed, the cheetah is capable of reaching speeds greater than 110 kilometers per hour in just over three seconds. At top speed, their stride is seven meters long. The cheetah’s unique body structure: flexible spine, semi-retractable claws, long legs and tail allow it to achieve the unbelievable top speed of 110 km/hr (70 mph). The cheetah’s body is narrow and lightweight with long slender limbs. Specialized muscles allow for a greater swing to the limbs increasing acceleration.

The cheetah serves a special role in its ecosystem. Cheetahs are one of the most successful hunters on the savanna but their kills are very often stolen by larger carnivores or predators that hunt in groups. Predators play an important role in any ecosystem. They keep prey species healthy by killing the weak and old individuals. They also act as a population check which helps plants-life by preventing overgrazing. Without predators like the cheetah, the savanna ecosystem in Namibia would be very different and the current ecological trend toward desertification would be accelerated.

A non-releasable cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia receives its daily meal.

Currently, cheetahs are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. In Namibia, they are a protected species. Under the Endangered Species Act in the United States, they are considered Endangered. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists them as an Appendix 1 species. Most wild cheetahs exist in fragmented populations in pockets of Africa, occupying a mere 9 percent of their historic range. In Iran, fewer than 50 Asiatic cheetahs (a sub-species) remain.

The largest single population of cheetahs occupies a six-country polygon that spans Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique and Zambia. Namibia has the largest number of individuals of any country, earning it the nickname, “The Cheetah Capital of the World.” More than 75 percent of remaining wild cheetahs live on rural farmlands alongside human communities.

Human-Wildlife Conflict

Unlike other large cats and pack predators, cheetahs do not do well in wildlife reserves. These areas normally contain high densities of other larger predators like the lion, leopard, and hyena. Predators such as these, compete with cheetahs for prey and will even kill cheetahs given the opportunity. In such areas, the cheetah cub mortality can be as high as 90%. Therefore, roughly 90% of cheetahs in Africa live outside of protected lands on private farmlands and thus often come into conflict with people.

When a predator threatens a farmer’s livestock, they also threaten the farmer’s livelihood. Farmers act quickly to protect their resources, often trapping or shooting the cheetah. Because cheetahs hunt more during the day, they are seen more often than the nocturnal predators which contributes to a higher rate of persecution on the cheetah.

Competition

Other large predators such as the ***lion*** (Panthera leo) can compete with wild cheetahs for food and territory in wildlife reserves.

Cub Mortality Rate

Cheetah cub mortality can be as high as 90% in wild areas where other predators may take the opportunity to take out the competition for food and other resources.

rewilding cheetahs

Cheetah Conservation Fund is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs and dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. Cheetahs that are rescued over the age of six months and are in good health are candidates for re-wilding. Cheetahs are typically released into a protected area such a Erindi Private Reserve and are fitted with tracking collars to monitor their health once they are released.