The federal government assured today that the translocation initiative is not “alarming.” It was also clarified that certain media reports regarding cheetah fatalities were inaccurate.
The Supreme Court, in the case of Centre for Environment Law WWF vs. Union of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, etc., highlighted that the number of African cheetah fatalities at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh is not insignificant, despite the veracity of media reports.
Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha, and Prashant Kumar Mishra expressed concerns about recent events in Kuno, which were shared by the general public.
The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) for the Central government, Aishwarya Bhati, stated that the translocation project was unprecedented, and there was no need for alarm at this stage. She pointed out that some media reports were inaccurate and mentioned that updates would be published independently.
Justice Narasimha acknowledged the significance of the number of cheetah deaths despite the ASG’s explanation of cubs being included in the statistics and contracting infections due to their initial confinement in a den without external supervision.
The ASG emphasized that the project was proceeding responsibly, consulting experts, adapting to new circumstances, and taking measures to acclimate the cheetahs to the local environment.
In September 2022, twenty cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were relocated to India’s Kuno National Park to revitalize the cheetah population.
Media reports indicated that eight cheetahs, including three offspring, had perished since March, attributed to infections and animal combat.
The Court deferred the case after hearing from the ASG and a lawyer representing one of the foreign experts. The Court had previously questioned the Central government about relocating all the cheetahs to Kuno National Park and expressed concern over the high number of cheetah deaths in a short period.
The Court orally suggested the possibility of transferring some of the cheetahs to Rajasthan.
