Environment and ecology Cheetah Reintroduction Programme Context: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change released nine cheetahs (6 females, 3 males) into enclosures at Kuno National Park. This was the third batch of cheetahs to arrive from an African nation after the first batch of eight big cats from Namibia in September 2022, and another 12 from South Africa in February 2023. Project Cheetah India initiated Project Cheetah in 2022 to bring back cheetahs, which had been extinct in the country for more than seven decades. The programme functions under Project Tiger and is recognized as the world’s first effort to relocate a large wild carnivore across continents. Objectives Re-establish Cheetah Populations: Create stable, self-sustaining breeding groups of cheetahs in protected areas that fall within their former natural range in India. Ecosystem Restoration: Use the cheetah as a flagship species to revive and conserve grasslands, open forests, and savanna landscapes. Boost Local Economies: Encourage eco-development and wildlife tourism to generate employment and improve livelihoods of communities living near these habitats. Community Participation & Conflict Reduction: Increase public awareness, involve local communities in conservation efforts, and minimize incidents of human-wildlife conflict.
