As India looks to Namibia for cheetahs, will it be a ‘waste of taxpayers’ money’?
- Namibia is set to send over 8 big cats, as India seeks to revive its cheetah population decades after the animals were hunted to extinction
- But conservationists say African cheetahs aren’t native to India and may not be able to adapt to their new environment
Conservationists have expressed concern about the return of cheetahs to India, with the giant cats set to make a comeback in the country after centuries of hunting and human encroachment wiped them out across India in 1952, when a maharaja hunted down the country’s last cheetah.
Eight African cheetahs will arrive next month in India from Namibia, home to the world’s largest population of cheetahs, as part of a deal between the two countries that spans collaboration across climate change, waste and wildlife management.
The giant cats will arrive in time for India’s 75th Independence Day on August 15, and they will be housed at the Kuno National Park in Central India’s Madhya Pradesh.
While Indian authorities and national park officials are looking forward to the arrival, conservationists are concerned about the move and the survivability of the fastest animal on land, in a new environment.
Anish Andheria, president of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, said that Kuno Park’s 1,400 sq km of grassland interspersed with woodland is not “the best cheetah habitat”, which would ideally be pure grassland. However, he thinks it should just about be “adequate”.
