Relevance:
India has signed an agreement with South Africa to translocate 12 cheetahs to the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier in September 2022, KNP had received eight cheetahs from Namibia.
Project Cheetah:
- Approved by Supreme Court in 2020
- Aim – To reintroduce at least 50 cheetahs over next five years.
- It is world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.
- Nodal Agency – National Tiger Conservation Authority
- Significance –
- Restoring open forest and grassland ecosystems in India.
- Conserve biodiversity and enhance ecosystem services like water security, carbon sequestration etc.
- Enhanced livelihood opportunities for local community through eco-development and ecotourism activities.
About Cheetah:
- It is a keystone species (organism that helps define an entire ecosystem) of dry forests, scrub forests, and savannahs.
- It is the only large wild mammalian species that went extinct from India.
- Protection Status –
- Appendix 1 of CITES
- IUCN status: African Cheetah (Vulnerable) and Asiatic Cheetah (Critically endangered).
- Major Cheetah range countries – Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, and Kenya in Africa, and Iran and India in Asia.
Kuno National Park (KNP):
- KNP is situated in Vindhyan Hills in Madhya Pradesh.
- It falls under falls under Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forest eco-region.
- Vegetation – Kardhai, Khair and Salai trees.
With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements: (2020)
- The leader of an elephant group is female.
- The maximum gestation period can be 22 months.
- An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only.
- Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 4 only
- 3 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
Reference: The Hindu
