Context:
An analysis conducted by the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) showed that the initial phase translocation project witnessed a mortality rate recorded at 40% to 50%, which is far less than the expected survival rate of 85%.
Key Highlights:
- Health and Stress Concerns
- The cheetahs have had to undergo much more than 90 chemical immobilizations followed by repeated veterinary intervention.
- Ethical and Ecological Issues
- This study concludes that continually supplying cheetahs to be released in India from Africa is not sustainable and not ethical.
Challenges with the Project
- Limited Wild Population
- Cheetahs in Africa face even greater pressures with 6,500 mature individuals remaining alive in the wild.
- Captivity and Conservation Risks
- As high mortality rates have left all the introduced cheetahs in India now kept inside enclosures.
- Annual Imports
- The projected annual importation into the country of 12 individuals to establish a robust population would not over the long term be financially sustainable for the country.
Recommendations for Justice based Approaches
- Participatory Conservation
- This study suggested that conservation decisions should be participatory processes, respecting diverse systems of knowledge and local voices.
- Sustainable Coexistence
- Instead of advancing translocation of the species, conservation should look at maintaining shared spaces between humanity and wildlife.
Study questions scientific and ethical validity for the overall concept Plan Cheetah, referring to broader concerns about human impact and more inclusive approaches to conservation.
