Three years on, India’s cheetah reintroduction struggles with poor science, delays, and missed grassland goals. In September 2022, the arrival of eight cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park was hailed as a conservation milestone. Five months later in February 2024, 12 more spotted cats arrived from South Africa. The initiative, branded Project Cheetah, carried lofty ambitions. It aimed not just to restore the world’s fastest land animal to India’s landscapes, but to revive open natural ecosystems (ONEs) — the grasslands, scrublands, and savannahs that are among the country’s most neglected habitats. By reintroducing a top predator, policymakers hoped to spark wider conservation attention, diversify India’s wildlife portfolio beyond tigers and forests, and make ecological amends for a human-caused extinction. The Cheetah Action Plan set out a clear roadmap: import 5–10 cheetahs annually for a decade, create a metapopulation across multiple states, secure and restore grassland hab...
After four months of monsoon break when Bandhavgarh national park was thrown open for tourists again on October 1, a hot air balloon flying low over core area of the tiger reserve erupted controversy. A member of National Tiger Conservation Authority member Satyendra Tiwari blew the whistle leading to questions whether hot air balloons should be allowed to fly over such a low height.
Can Hot Balloon Fly over Core Area ?
Some tourists on a tiger safari on gypsies also spotted the balloon. But Tiwari, an NTCA member clicked a picture of the balloon and posted it on Facebook . He said if you see it (the picture ) carefully you can see a white dot amongst the trees which is a watch tower in Chakradhara meadow and this is the tree line near cave number 1. “ No matter the elevation of the place I was standing , I cannot make this balloon look below the tree line. I took this picture from Sheshshaiyya road from first turn while proceeding upwards”, he said .
One of the most visited national parks by wildlife tourists from all over the world, the park introduced India's first hot air balloon safari in January this year. With the highest density of tigers, Bandhavgarh tiger reserve became the first in the country where this facility was launched by Sky Waltz Ballooning , the company operating in Bandhavgarh.
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“Tree top is higher than the balloon so just imagine where the basket of this balloon was?”, he wondered over the height when the balloon was flying. Was it a violation of the eco -tourism norms?, environmentalists want to know. Senior officials of the state wildlife division of the forest department said they would look into the matter. A senior official said that hot air balloon could not be operated over the core area of the national park. This would create disturbance to the wildlife animals as it emanates babbling noise of heating of air in its burner. The flame of the burner has 600 degrees Celsius temperature.
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Another post the NTCA member on the Facebook said Union ministry of environment and forest prohibited activities several activities in a 2019 notification on ecological sensitive zones. The prohibited activities include the tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the national park,
Balloon Safari Launched in January 2021
One of the most visited national parks by wildlife tourists from all over the world, the park introduced India's first hot air balloon safari in January this year. With the highest density of tigers, Bandhavgarh tiger reserve became the first in the country where this facility was launched by Sky Waltz Ballooning , the company operating in Bandhavgarh.
MP Tourism development corporation said that the it is loaded with necessary safety equipment. “An aerial view of the restricted buffer zone and core zone will be an exclusive experience for the safari lovers. One can witness and appreciate the magnificent ancient temple while strolling in the sky. “The balloon with a capacity of nine passengers will take off from the buffer zone, will fly over the core zone of the national park and land outside the core zone”, tourism corporation website said.
Cover Pic: Courtesy Satyendra Tiwari. Other are representational images
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