African Cheetahs in India?

[Guest guest]

>

>

> *Efforts on to reintroduce cheetah at Pench forest*

> *Mar. 18th, 2009

> by Ramesh Marulkar *

>

> *A group of environmentalists is making efforts to reintroduce African

> Cheetah in Pench forest. Cheetah (Acinonyx Jupatus) was extincted from India

> over 60 years ago. *

>

> *The group has formed Cheetah Conservation Society, Nagpur, for this

> purpose. The society is trying to explore the possibilities of introduction

> of the exotic species Cheetah in active cooperation with Dr. Laurie Marker,

> Founder and Executive Director of Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), Namibia,

> Dr. Luke Hunter of Panthera, New York, and Dr. Mark Stanley Price IUCN,

> Gland, Switzerland. The society is also seeking cooperation from Wildlife

> Trust of India (WTI), which is also trying to implement one such

> introduction programme in the areas between Rajasthan and Gujarat under the

> guidance of its Chairman Dr Ranjitsingh. The society wants WTI to share its

> experience in the project and help in getting necessary clearance from

> Ministry of Environment and Forests, Delhi. Talking to The Hitavada on

> Tuesday, V P Singh, founder member of Cheetah Conservation Society, Nagpur,

> said that the society has already approached to Dr Laurie Marker, who has

> assured to work closely with it for successful reinstroduction of Cheetah.

> The society would be requesting her for providing the livestock of minimum

> four pairs of cheetah if the ministry gives green signal to the proposal.

> She has also suggested to associate scientists and conservationists for

> field study on suitability factor, he added. The society has been consulting

> the higher authorities of Forest Department in Maharashtra, who suggested to

> sort out the matter with the union ministry and National Tiger Conservation

> Authority, Delhi, as any activity undertaken in national forest essentially

> requires their clearance. Singh mentioned that the society would take up the

> project of introduction of Cheetah in the wild and implement conservation

> programme facilitiating the Cheetah survival. The wild animals would first

> be kept in enclosures in order to get them tuned with the habitat, climatic

> conditions and other aspects. It may be mentioned here that Dr. Laurie

> Marker has been working with Cheetahs since 1974. She has helped develop the

> US and international captive programme, establishing the most successful

> captive Cheetah breeding centre in North America during her 16 years

> services at Oregon’s Wildlife Safari. Dr. Luke Hunter and Dr. Mark Stanley

> Price are also prominent personalities working for the welfare of Cheetahs.

> Both have also assured to extend help in the endeavours of the society in

> reintroduction programme. Tracing the history would reveal that the last

> sighting of Cheetahs was in 1907 in the forests of Berar province and in

> Surguja district, now in Chhattisgarh State, was in 1947 when Maharaj

> Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo reported to have killed three Cheetahs. The running

> speed of a Cheetah is said to be over 95 km per hour. The society wants to

> provide a platform to scientists and conservationalists and appeal to them

> to come forward and join hands to make the programme a success. Interested

> persons may contact V. P. Singh on 9422143278, Pradeep Mohanto - 9420247410

> or Sameer Shinde - 9890915857 for obtaining any further details.*

>

>