The Missing Data on Cheetah Extinction : Daily Current Affairs

Date: 20/04/2023

Relevance: GS-3: Biodiversity, Environment

Key Phrases: Cheetah Specimens, Acinonyx jubatus, Thomson's gazelles, International Union for Conservation of Nature, vulnerable, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, Project Leopard.

Context:

  • The genetic material from the historical specimens has revealed that the genetic diversity of tigers and cheetahs in India has declined drastically.
  • Samples extracted from the trophies of tigers, for instance, revealed that the genetic diversity of the animal in India has declined by more than 93 per cent.

Do you know?

  • Cheetah is the only large carnivore to have become extinct in Independent India.
  • On 11 March 2023, a breeding pair, named Oban and Aasha, were released together into the wild of Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Genetic Analysis of Cheetah Specimens:

  • Only six of the 22 cheetah samples connected to India have been analyzed genetically.
  • The analysis shows both African and Asiatic subspecies, but establishing the subspecies is not enough to determine the wild origins of the historical cheetah specimens.
  • The three most important pieces of information for any sample are the location and date of collection and the name of the collector.
  • The locations of nine specimens are not available, and five apparently came from foreign localities like Africa and Afghanistan.
  • The date on which about half the specimens were collected is also unknown, and the collectors for about half the specimens are unknown.

About Cheetahs:

  • The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat native to Africa and Southwest Asia (today restricted to central Iran).
  • It is the fastest land animal, capable of running at 80 to 98 km/h (50 to 61 mph).
  • It typically reaches 67–94 cm (26–37 in) at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m (3 ft 7 in and 4 ft 11 in).
  • Adults weigh between 21 and 72 kg (46 and 159 lb).
  • Its head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks.
  • The cheetah lives in three main social groups: females and their cubs, male "coalitions", and solitary males.
  • While females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large home ranges, males are more sedentary and instead establish much smaller territories in areas with plentiful prey and access to females.
  • The cheetah is active during the day, with peaks during dawn and dusk.
  • It feeds on small- to medium-sized prey, mostly weighing under 40 kg (88 lb), and prefers medium-sized ungulates such as impala, springbok and Thomson's gazelles.
  • It breeds throughout the year.
  • The gestation (pregnancy) period for the cheetah is three months.
  • The cheetah occurs in a variety of habitats such as savannahs in the Serengeti, arid mountain ranges in the Sahara and hilly desert terrain in Iran.
  • Unfortunately, cheetahs are classified as vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.

How cheetah got extinct in India?

  • Habitat Loss:
    • Habitat loss was one of the significant factors contributing to the extinction of cheetahs in India.
    • The expansion of human settlements, agriculture, and mining resulted in the destruction of the cheetah's natural habitat.
    • The loss of habitat forced the cheetahs to move to areas with insufficient prey, making it difficult for them to survive.
  • Hunting:
    • The cheetahs were hunted for their skin, which was used as a symbol of status by the Indian aristocracy.
    • The hunting of cheetahs was not regulated, which led to a significant reduction in their population.
  • Human-Cheetah Conflict:
    • The conflict between humans and cheetahs was another contributing factor to the extinction of cheetahs in India.
    • As humans encroached upon the cheetah's habitat, conflicts arose due to attacks on livestock, resulting in retaliation by humans.
  • Other Factors:
    • Other factors such as disease, genetic abnormalities, and competition with other predators may have also contributed to the extinction of cheetahs in India.

Government Steps To Conserve Wild Cats:

  • Project Tiger:
    • This is a flagship conservation program of the Indian government launched in 1973, which aims to protect and conserve the population of tigers in the country.
    • The program involves the creation of protected areas, monitoring of tiger populations, and efforts to reduce poaching and human-tiger conflict.
  • Project Leopard:
    • Launched in 2018, this program aims to conserve the population of leopards in India.
    • The program involves the creation of conservation reserves, habitat improvement, and capacity building of forest officials and local communities.
  • National Lion Conservation Plan:
    • Launched in 2018, this program aims to conserve the Asiatic lion population in India, which is found only in the Gir forest in Gujarat.
    • The plan involves habitat improvement, reduction of human-lion conflict, and capacity building of forest officials and local communities.
  • Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB):
    • The WCCB is a statutory body established in 2007 to combat wildlife crime in India.
    • The bureau coordinates with state governments, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders to prevent and investigate wildlife crimes, including poaching and trafficking of wild cats.
  • Creation of wildlife corridors:
    • The government has taken steps to create wildlife corridors to connect fragmented habitats and allow animals, including wild cats, to move freely between protected areas.
    • This helps to increase genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding.

Conclusion

  • The extinction of cheetahs in India was caused by a combination of factors such as habitat loss, hunting, and human-wildlife conflict.
  • However, with the initiation of the reintroduction program, there is hope that the cheetah population can be restored in India.
  • The success of the program will depend on effective conservation measures and community participation.

Source: The Indian Express

Mains Question:

Q. Discuss the reasons behind the extinction of the cheetah in India. What steps has the government undertaken to conserve wild cats? (250 words).