Experts are of the opinion that no release date should be discussed until all points of contention are settled for the good of our cheetahs and the project.
Sources say that WII scientist YV Jhala, who played a key role in the project, may go on leave and the issue is yet to be resolved. Obviously this is being taken up with the Prime Minister for resolution as Jhala plays a key role in making this project a success.
Officials said that as per the schedule, the cheetahs will be relocated on October 17 to better accustom them to their new environment and start hunting grounds to begin hunting. Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) will send experts to assist the MP Forest Department.
There is a need for better network in forest guard’s rest house to track cheetahs in real time.
His team has some issues to be resolved before moving to the bigger bomas. Officials have to go through a very lengthy checklist before they can consider taking cheetahs to Bomas.
Sources say that some parts of the internal fence are less than 2 meters high and need to be strengthened, while some parts are loose. “If the cheetah jumps on it, it will lean over and the cheetah can go over it,” said CCF conservation biologist and cheetah expert Eli Wacker. “They also need to put rocks around the fence to avoid bridges under it which can be dug by the boar. Only a small portion of the 11km internal fence has been electrified so far, and most of it is yet to be completed,” Wacker said.
The division of a Boma is pending. Boma-5, where Sasha, Savannah and Siaya are to be released, has very dense and high vegetation. Sources say that till the work is not completed, the cheetahs will not be able to hunt in this boma.
The Boma-5 also has an open well which is a safety hazard, and it must be filled to ensure that the cheetahs do not fall into it while hunting. Arrangements for the supply of water points in Bomas are yet to be made. The officials also want the network at the forest guard’s rest house to be improved so that GPS data and monitoring of cheetahs can be done in real time after release.
“How much time cheetahs spend in Bomas before they are released into the national park depends on how they react to the staff who will track them. Now we can drive our vehicle with all eight cats without any problems. can bring around.
Team members should be able to approach the cheetahs if they are hungry or broke. For this reason, we cannot say how long the cats will remain in the boma before they are allowed into the park,” said Barthélemy Balli, CCF Conservation Release Program Manager. Cheetah Surveillance Team kuno Special tracking equipment and a proper meat storage facility are also required, especially when more cheetahs arrive. The current solar array powering the refrigeration unit is not strong enough to keep meat cold on cloudy days. Concerns have been expressed regarding the construction of new quarantine enclosures for South African cheetahs.
Sources say that they are being made without proper configuration. “Eight Namibian cheetahs will have to store prey in Bomas before they can be relocated. We estimate that at least 200 spotted deer will be kept in Bomas before release,” Balli said, adding, “We believe that the cheetahs will be quarantined. Our plan to move the animals from Pen to Bomas and the park without darts is carefully thought out and will lead to the best results.” Sources say that all the eight cheetahs are doing well and eating properly.
It was CCF team members Eli Walker and Bart Bally who visited a site in Kuno National Park in August 2022 to prepare for the arrival of eight Namibian cheetahs. Both the persons had traveled to India in advance to investigate basic infrastructure and review protocols for cheetah care. Walker, a CCF conservation biologist and cheetah specialist, and Bally, CCF’s conservation release program manager, spent several weeks becoming familiar with the land and facilities at Kuno. The goal of this human support team is to help Savannah, Siaya, Asha, Oban, Elton, Freddy, Sasha and Tbilisi thrive in India.
Once the cheetahs reached Kuno on September 17, they were personally welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then placed in quarantine for 30 days.
When the boma is completed, the target date is October 17, the cheetahs will be moved to large farms. After the staff monitoring them adapt, the cheetahs will be released into the park. Although Walker believes that cheetahs will be able to adapt to the environment in Kuno without too much trouble, there are differences in habitat (vegetation composition and prey species) between India and Namibia, and as such, there are differences in how the cheetahs can accommodate. will require time. During this adjustment period, if a particular animal fails to hunt repeatedly to sustain itself, it will be supported with supplements by the post-release monitoring team.
“This pre-release holding period provides cheetahs with a safe environment in which they can begin to explore their new surroundings and learn to hunt new species of prey available in Kuno,” Walker said.
During the advance visit, Eli Walker and Bart Bally inspected the quarantine facility and Boma holdings and provided recommendations for their completion. The CCF pair also discussed logistics for the ongoing, long-term monitoring of cheetahs once released in the park.
“We had the opportunity to visit the park to assess the habitat situation and to get an idea of which areas of the park might suit the cheetahs. Although the habitat provided in Kuno and the habitat found in Namibia but there are many similarities as well as areas suitable for hunting cheetahs. For hunting, cheetahs do well in open grasslands as well as in more moderately densely vegetated areas and the kuno provides a sufficiently suitable alternative. Let’s do it”, said Bally.
According to Dr. Laurie Marker, CCF’s founder and executive director, CCF’s Project Cheetah team leader, reintroducing a species is always an extremely difficult task, for which many years have been devoted to face the difficulty. Effort and persistence are required.
“From the CCF’s years of research on releasing cheetahs back into the wild, we’ve learned about the important actions we can take to help maximize the released animals’ chances of survival. The CCF took this knowledge We have worked with India and the Kuno National Park team to implement this,” said Dr. Marker. “However, in the end the success of the effort will depend on several factors, including reintroduced individuals. With its performance, CCF is confident that India is ready to do everything possible to make the project a success.”