Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget for today on Translocation of Cheetahs.
(Relevance: Various initiatives started by India on the global and domestic levels, especially concerning the environment, form an important part of the UPSC CSE exam. Thus, knowing about the Cheetah and Project Cheetah becomes essential for the Prelims exam.)
Why in the news?
Indian authorities are working to finalise permissions to execute translocation of five African cheetahs, which are set to come to India from Botswana under Project Cheetah, early next year. In this context, let’s know about the Cheetah and Project Cheetah in detail.
Key Takeaways:
1. Botswana formally announced the translocation of eight cheetahs to India during President Droupadi Murmu’s State visit in November. This marked Botswana’s symbolic donation of eight big cats to India under Project Cheetah.
2. Botswana is home to one of the largest wild cheetah populations with an estimated 1,700-2,000 of the big cats found there.
Cheetahs
1. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are well-known for their tawny coats speckled with black dots, which are placed in a distinctive pattern to aid in animal identification.
2. India was home to Asiatic cheetahs. According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, in 1952, the cheetah bid farewell to India, succumbing to a culmination of threats. Now, the Asiatic cheetah is believed to survive only in Iran.
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Do you Know?
Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Korea, Madhya Pradesh, is widely believed to have killed the last three recorded cheetahs in India in 1947. In 1952, the Indian government officially declared the Cheetah extinct in the country. Notably, the earliest available record for cheetahs being used for hunts in India, comes from the 12th century Sanskrit text Manasollasa, which was produced by the Kalyani Chalukya ruler, Someshvara III (reigned from 1127-1138 CE).
3. Conservation Status of Cheetahs:
— IUCN Red List- Asiatic cheetah “critically endangered”, African Cheetah is listed as a vulnerable (VU).
— Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Asiatic cheetah-Schedule 1, African Cheetah-Schedule 1.
British labeled cheetahs as “vermin” and introduced bounty hunting system from 1871 onwards
BOUNTY FOR CUBS
₹6
Reward paid per cheetah cub killed in Sindh region
BOUNTY FOR ADULTS
₹12
Reward paid per adult cheetah killed under British policy
Three-Pronged Attack on Cheetah Population
Monetary bounty system incentivized mass hunting of cheetahs across India
Extensive forest clearing for indigo, tea and coffee plantations destroyed habitats
British preference for tiger hunting ignored cheetah conservation entirely
Even small population removals prevented reproduction at survival levels
Indian Express InfoGenIE
Project Cheetah
1. Project Cheetah was launched in September 2022 with the intercontinental translocation of African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This translocation took place in two batches of eight and then 12 cheetahs.
2. The ambitious project has two overarching objectives:
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(i) First, to establish a stable, breeding population of cheetahs in central India.
(ii) Two, to use cheetahs as an umbrella species to restore open natural ecosystems such as scrubs, savannahs, grasslands, and degraded forests.
Do you Know?
There are two sub-species of cheetahs recognized today, the Asiatic (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) and the African (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus). However, the ecologist Ghazala Shahabuddin argues that it is still debatable if there is a biological basis for their differentiation, as cheetahs across continents have been seen to be genetically comparable.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Project Tiger
1. The ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, in a bid to promote conservation of the tiger. The programme came at a time when India’s tiger population was rapidly dwindling.
2. To tackle the problem of hunting and poaching of not just tigers but also other animals and birds, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi promulgated the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972. A year later, after a task force urged the government to create a chain of reserves dedicated to tiger preservation, Indira unveiled Project Tiger.
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3. Launched at the Jim Corbett National Park, the programme was initially started in nine tiger reserves of different States such as Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, covering over 14,000 sq km.
4. Project Tiger didn’t just focus on the conservation of the big cats. It also ensured the preservation of their natural habitat as tigers are at the top of the food chain.
Post Read Question
Consider the following: (UPSC CSE 2012)
1. Black-necked crane
2. Cheetah
3. Flying squirrel
4. Snow leopard
Which of the above are naturally found in India?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(Sources: Nod to translocate Botswana cheetahs likely in Jan-Feb, UPSC Issue at a Glance | Why Tigers Matter: Environmental, cultural, and economic significance of India’s apex predator)
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