Reintroducing Cheetahs in India: Correct idea, incorrect models

Why would anyone bring in African cheetahs to conserve the near-extinct Indian species? The closest relative is the Asian cheetahs.

A couple of months back, the Supreme Court eventually gave in and decided to finally give a thumbs up to the idea of reintroducing cheetahs in India. This was an idea which had been toyed with for the past few decades and would have been music to the ears of wildlife lovers and others who see this as the next business venture. Either way, it is a massive victory for all those who have been pushing for this from the onset. But, let’s wait and watch.

After all, the last Asiatic cheetah in India was recorded in the same year in which India gained independence. The gap has been quite a substantial one for one of the speed machines of the planet. It also comes as no surprise that some Maharajah was the reason behind the death of the last cheetah at a time when trophy hunting was a rage among the (so called) educated high and mighty. One wonders what would have been the case if cheetahs had still been roaming around the wilds of India!!!

Had this been the case, India would have been the premier safari destination of the world instead of some of the African countries. We would have had all the big cats with the exception of the jaguar which is native to South America. It is a no brainer that the big cats are what attract majority of the safari goers who show little to no interest in the other flora and fauna of the jungles or savannah. It is the tiger, lion, cheetah and leopard they go to see and we would have had it all.

Living in the present and not hypothetically, we must go ahead with what is in hand. The good thing is that a couple of areas have been identified where these cheetahs can be brought back for rehabilitation. The bad news is that the plan is on to reintroduce cheetahs from southern Africa and that is where the controversy lies. Common sense would dictate that Asian cheetahs would be brought back to India as that is what originally roamed the wilds of our country. But certain wildlife ‘experts’ have somehow concluded that it would be best to bring the African version to India even though these are not the ones that are closer to extinction.

Iran is the last place on earth where the Asiatic cheetahs are found and it would be best to bring some from there for reintroduction into India. There are approximately about 50 of these left, compared to a much greater number of their African cousins. Let us hope that the decision to get these magnificent felines from southern Africa gets rescinded so that the Asiatic cheetahs can finally come back to a place that was once their home. That is when this scenario will become a win-win for all and India will be once again able to boast of having the famed quartet of big cats. This is the only way forward if the objective is to actually save an endangered species as compared to another publicity stunt where wildlife again comes in at second spot.