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Showing posts with the label Cheetah Translocation

End of an Era In Bandhavgarh: Tiger Pujari Killed In Territorial Battle With D1

The iconic male tiger, admired by thousands of tourists and feared by rivals, reportedly died after a fierce clash in the Khitauli range. Bandhavgarh National Park has lost one of its most recognizable and beloved tigers. Pujari (priest in English) , the majestic male who ruled hearts as much as territories , is believed to have died following a violent territorial clash with D1, another dominant male from the Khitauli range. Tourist guides noticed his sun-salutation poses at water bodies and a priest  like calm in the cat, giving him the moniker.  For wildlife lovers and regular visitors to Bandhavgarh, the news marks the end of an unforgettable chapter in the park’s rich tiger history. Several WhatsApp groups of tourists, guides, and wildlife enthusiasts have been flooded with tributes to the iconic tiger. While many stories circulating after Pujari’s death may not fully conform to scientific wildlife interpretations, they reflect the immense popularity of the big cat and t...
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Drones, Dogs Help Catch Cheetah Nirva In Kuno

Officials in the Union ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFC&C)  and those  involved in cheetah  translocation in Namibia and  South Africa heaved a huge sigh of relief after Nirva, the female cheetah  missing since July 21 was captured in Kuno national park . But the operation to capture Nirva was a huge exercise and, perhaps, has no parallel in the history of wildlife conservation in India.  Spreading over 150 hours stretched in 22 days, more than 100 forest department personnel, looked out for a cheetah in a rain drenched jungle. Day in , day out ,they walked on foot, rode elephants, flew drones and deployed dogs in search of the cheetah.  Hard work and perseverance paid off and Nirva was caught and captured. “Nirva is healthy and has been kept inside boma for further health check-up”, said Aseem Shrivastava, the chief wildlife warden of Madhya Pradesh.  Nirva in Kuno was Like Needle in Haystack Operation Nirva began in ...
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Another Cheetah Dies in Kuno as African Experts Plea the Sc for Transparency in the Project

  While reporting for  television and the print media during a long period of over three decades , I noticed a tendency of Indian bureaucracy - most of the bureaucrats in India seem to have trained themselves for hiding information. There is also lack of transparency especially while dealing with the community outside their sphere. International experts in cheetah translocation project  in Kuno national park are also experiencing the same issue. During the recent cheetah deaths, especially after July 11 when a male cat died, the first from alleged  satellite tracking -collar abrasion, it was revealed that the African experts were  begging for information from India officials .There was a delay of more than 24 precious hours when some details, not all, reached the African experts as Indian authorities  made "assumptions"  over  the injury  caused  to  Tejas, the male cheetah by a female. He later died. He was followed by Suraj but th...
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Bringing African Cheetahs to India a Wrong Decision ?

 India’s cheetah project has derailed as it faces an unprecedented crisis, not  even anticipated  by the cheetah managers- neither from Africa nor India. Though the project- wrapped in secrecy-  envisioned a high mortality of cheetah , the present cause of deaths did not find any mention in the Cheetah Action Plan. There are more issues including  politics, bureaucratic hurdles and red tapism  responsible for the present predicament and none of them have any link with wildlife and environment. Amidst all this,  officials and experts are trying hard to get the project back on tracks. Conservation Project or Political Minefield ? Outbursts of an eminent South African veterinarian will explain his frustration and the present state of affairs in   managing the cheetahs in Kuno national park. Dr Adrian Tordiffe who is an eminent veterinarian from South Africa and is one of the five consulting panelists of international Cheetah experts for advice -...
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Plans Begin To Capture All Cheetahs To Remove Collars Amidst MoEFC&C Denial

     In a huge embarrassment to   senior  members of  the Steering Committee for Cheetah project and  international experts including Laurie Marker of Cheetah Conservation Fund(CCF), one of the biggest   names in cheetah conservation in the world, the Union ministry of Environment forest and climate change (MoEFC&C)  denied cheetah deaths due to collar wounds in Kuno national park . On Saturday- July 15 – Namibia based Laurie Marker and steering committee members including its head Dr Rajesh Gopal had confirmed the deaths due to collar wounds.  Despite Dnial, Preps On To Cpture Cheetahs The MoEFC&C denial was issued when the officials were preparing to capture cheetahs to remove their collars   to prevent further casualties.Rattled by the 5 cheetah deaths including the two back to back  losses in the last three days, the MoEFC&C  issued a three page press release on Sunday afternoon. It said, “As...
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Not Leopards, A Different 'Predator' is Killing Kuno Cheetahs

  When the cheetah project was planned ,   the presence of a large number of leopards  in Kuno national park was  considered as the biggest threat to the  smaller spotted cats. But an altogether 'new predator'- unknown and unheard of- is stalking the African cheetahs in Kuno killing two cheetahs. Namibia to South Africa to Delhi, cheetah managers have expressed grave concern. It is a 400  gram satellite collar killing the cheetahs. The collars were placed around their neck to keep a track of the cheetahs translocated from the two African countries. African experts have recommended close monitoring of the cheetahs still in the enclosures in Kuno and replace them with  better collars.  Collars Inflict Wounds Two cheetahs- first Tejas in an enclosure and then Suraj   in the open forest- died. Injuries over their neck were the common factor in both the cases.  After initial confusion over the injuries, experts realized the death wa...
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11 Cheetahs To Be Released In 2 Months, South Africa Announces Midst Minister's Questioning

  Amidst controversy created by the death of cheetahs  both in India and South Africa, the  forestry and environment ministry of  the African  nation said the 11   remaining cheetahs  will be released in the free ranging conditions “over the next two months.” Interestingly,  there is no commitment on cheetah release from Indian officials. Two cheetahs died in Kuno national park – one each from South Africa and Namibia. After the death of Uday, the South African cheetah,  the main opposition party  has also questioned  the minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, on the export of 12 cheetahs to India. Two MPs from the  the opposition Democratic Alliance Hannah Shameema Winckler and Dave Bryant have sought explanation from the minister and   accountability for the cheetah death. This has happened two months after lawyers of  an animals' rights organisation in South Africa petitioned...
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Another Cheetah Dies in Kuno ,Will Post Mortem Report be Made Public

  A team of veterinarians  conducted a post mortem of  Uday, the  six year old cheetah who died at Kuno national park on Sunday. The male feline was translocated from South Africa in February this year.  Twenty -four hours before his death, the cheetah was hale and hearty. Earlier on March 27, Sasha, one of the eight Namibian cheetahs, died of a kidney ailment at the park on March 27. Cause of Death Unknown The  latest incident is seen as a major setback for the  much hyped and ambitious 'Project Cheetah' for which 20 cats, 8 from Namibia  and 12 from South Africa were  airlifted in  two separate batches in September 2022 and February this year. respectively. After the death of  Uday,  the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife, J S Chauhan  said, "During the inspection in the morning ( on Sunday) , a cheetah (Uday) brought from South Africa was found dull with  his head  dropped down. He said that...
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Adventures of Asha, Oban Put Cheetah Task Force in a Fix

  Gasping for breath after chasing Oban- the cheetah roaming  beyond the boundaries of Kuno national park and tranquilizing to bring him back home - the Indian officials  have realised  that they will have a tough task ahead. With 15 more cheetahs waiting to be released in the open forest and no second home in sight for them yet,   it would be difficult for the officials to manage and monitor this fastest animal on the four legs Adventures of Oban Oban and Asha, a female, were released in the open forest of Kuno on March 11 marking the final defined step  of translocation  from Namibia to India. The duo along with six more were airlifted from Namibia   to India on September 17 last year. For months they were first kept in quarantine and then to a bigger enclosure before releasing them in the open forest. Few days later two more males- Elton and Freddie too were released. Within days, Asha and Oban moved out of the small park which has an...
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Cheetahs In Kuno Kill Another Deer But The Real Test Awaits

After Freddie and Elton, the two male cheetahs, made their first kill in Kuno National Park making national headlines, the two spotted cats killed another spotted deer sometime on November 8 evening. Moving around the one square km enclosure, the fastest  land animal got some space to sprint  and  recover from the long confinement in small bomas - first in Namibia and then in Kuno. Like a fitness test, the deer hunting is taking place  inside  a  one square km fenced enclosure facilitating the cheetahs to  catch the cheetal (spotted deer) herbivore and kill. But this is being termed as  "cheetah project on the right track". The real test of cheetahs will begin when they are finally released in the open forest in the coming months to compete  and face the  ferocious  leopards and  packs of the wild dogs of Kuno,  officials of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFC&C) admit. Cheetahs Chase De...
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Experts Anxious Till Cheetahs Adapt Kuno National Park, Tourism Not Priority

  International cheetah experts are closely monitoring the movements of 8 spotted cats released on September 17 in Kuno National Park of central India state of Madhya Pradesh. Cheetahs are quarantined for a month and only trained Namibian handlers are allowed to “take care” of the  fastest land animal housed in different small enclosures. The animals are watched from machaans –  watch tower situated about “100 meters away”. Amidst continuing negative media reports on the success of the translocation project, the biggest concern of the Union ministry of forest, environment and climate change (MoEFC&C)   is adaptation  of new environs. “Let's see how soon the cheetahs adapt Kuno”.   Indian Officials Optimistic   Cheetahs are housed in smaller enclosures, the one shown on televisions sets when PM Narendra Modi released them on his birthday on September 17. After one month, they are likely to be released in a bigger enclosure. In anothe...
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7000 Cheetahs , 700 Lions: A Tale Of Misplaced Priority

  A cheetah versus lion debate goes on  amidst cheetah translocation to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. There are little over 7000 cheetahs spread across the  continent of Africa in the reserves and most of them are double or triple or even more to the size of national parks of India. In contradiction, there are barely about 700 Asiatic lions found only in India that too in one region of its one state only -Gujarat .It’s like putting all your eggs in one basket. For a variety of reasons including scientific, African cheetah managers find it difficult to manage the cat's popultion.Now they are are being translocated to different countries, like  India, and even within Africa. Referring to cheetah project, Ravi Chellam , a very senior conservationist in India has commented ,” how can African priority has become Indian priority”.    Cheetah  And Contraceptives Professor Adrian Tordiffe, a veteran veterinarian from Pretoria University and a key...
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