Govt forms Steering committee to review, monitor Cheetah translocation project
Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has constituted a ‘Cheetah Project Steering Committee (CPSC)’ to monitor the Cheetah project.
- The 11-member CPSC comprises national and international experts. The main function of this committee is to oversee the implementation of the Cheetah project. This committee will be effective for two years.
- Project Cheetah is the world’s first transcontinental relocation of a large wild carnivore.
- Since, cheetah is a keystone species of the ecosystem, the project is expected to restore the open forest and grassland ecosystem, conserve biodiversity, etc.
- Recently, cubs born from a translocated Namibian cheetah to the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh had died. Due to this incident, CPSC has been formed.
Challenges before the sustainability of ‘Project Cheetah’ –
- Cheetahs have a tendency to move over long distances, whereas the KNP has very little territory available.
- These cheetahs are still unable to learn behaviors such as spreading and roaming in their new habitat, searching for prey, showing aggression to defend their territory.
- The resettlement of these cheetahs does not have the same prey base as their native ecosystem.
- Due to complex topography and difficult terrain and lack of skilled personnel, there is difficulty in monitoring the cheetahs after their relocation.
- A large population of stray dogs is found in forests across the country. These dogs are carriers of pathogens such as Parvovirus, which are fatal to cheetahs.
Tasks Assigned to CPSC
- Monitoring the progress of the program and advising the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA),
- To decide on opening of cheetah habitat for eco-tourism and suggest regulations in this regard,
- Suggestions on ways to involve the local community in the project activity.
Source – The Hindu
