Madhya Pradesh State PCS

• 06 Jun 2024

Project Cheetah

Why in News?

Recently, a Kenyan delegation visited India to discuss collaboration on wildlife conservation efforts, with a particular emphasis on the ongoing Cheetah Reintroduction Project (Project Cheetah).

Key Points

• The delegation presented a draft MoU to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) proposing collaboration.
  • It along with capacity building and knowledge sharing, also included provisions for supplying equipment to Kenyan forest rangers to enhance field patrolling and wildlife preservation efforts.
• Project Cheetah:
  • The Phase-1 of the project started in 2022, to restore the population of cheetahs, which were declared extinct in the country in 1952.
    • It involves the translocation of cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia to Kuno National Park.
    • The project is implemented by the NTCA in collaboration with the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
  • Under Phase-2 of the Project India is considering sourcing cheetahs from Kenya due to similar habitats.
    • Cheetahs will be translocated to Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh).