After three cheetahs died in simply over a month final yr in Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, the National Tiger Conservation Authority in May 2023 known as in specialists from Reliance’s wildlife facility in Gujarat to overview well being monitoring protocols, official information present.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) Assistant Inspector General of Forests Abhishek Kumar wrote to the CEO of Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar-based Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC) on May 11, 2023, requesting {that a} workforce of specialists be despatched to Kuno to “review health monitoring protocols” and supply recommendation to “ensure the welfare of the cheetahs” following the deaths of three noticed felines between March 27 and May 9.
Also learn | Project Cheetah, a yr on
Mr. Kumar’s letter mentioned Project Cheetah was the primary intercontinental reintroduction of a wild, giant carnivore species with “no comparable historical precedent” and it was not stunning {that a} undertaking of such a “magnitude and complexity would face many challenges”.
“Due to careful planning and execution, all 20 cheetahs survived the initial capture, quarantine and lengthy transport to the purpose-built quarantine and larger acclimatisation enclosure in Kuno. We are given to understand that Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre has expert veterinarians who are handling a substantial number of cheetahs in captivity,” learn the letter, seen by PTI.
GZRRC director Brij Kishor Gupta wrote again on May 24, 2023, saying a four-member workforce would go to Kuno on May 25-26.
The workforce included “senior veterinary officers” Jorge Francisco Soares and Nitin Yashwant Tambe, lab in-charge Mandeep and Mr. Gupta himself.
In response to PTI’s query through e-mail, Mr. Gupta mentioned, “The National Tiger Conservation Authority requested GZRRC last year to assess the healthcare protocols of cheetahs being followed at Kuno, we sent our team of experts veterinarians and (the) director and found that they are following the right protocol for health care management of cheetahs.” GZRRC specialists visited Kuno solely as soon as, Mr. Gupta mentioned however gave no clear reply on whether or not they had been offering any steerage or assist to the undertaking at current.
GZRRC can be offering a serving to hand to the Gujarat Forest Department in the conservation of Asiatic lions by way of its Asiatic Lion Care, Medical Research and Hospital.
Mr. Gupta mentioned all types of interplay, engagement and information change carried out by the GZRRC with authorities and non-government entities in the fields of animal welfare, analysis and conservation had been carried out “strictly on a non-commercial basis”.
Watch | How has ‘Project Cheetah’ progressed in India?
As a part of the primary ever intercontinental translocation of huge cats, a complete of 20 cheetahs — eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023 — had been introduced to Kuno.
Since their arrival, eight grownup cheetahs — three feminine and 5 male — have died. Seventeen cubs have been born in India, with 12 surviving. This brings the whole variety of cheetahs, together with cubs, in Kuno to 24, all of that are at the moment in enclosures.
Three cheetahs — one male and two feminine — died between March 27 and May 9, 2023.
According to Project Cheetah’s annual report for 2023-24, Namibian feminine cheetah Sasha died due to “chronic renal insufficiency” on March 27, 2023, changing into the primary mortality in the undertaking.
“Sasha developed kidney problems after her arrival and received continuous care for two months but, unfortunately, she did not respond positively to the treatment and passed away,” the annual report says.
South African male cheetah Uday “suddenly died” on April 23, 2023, throughout the bigger acclimatisation enclosure “without displaying any prior symptoms”. South African feminine cheetah Daksha died on May 9, 2023, due to accidents from a violent encounter with a male coalition throughout a mating try, in accordance to the report.
The GZRRC specialists’ go to was instantly preceded by the loss of life of three cubs born to Namibian cheetah Jwala between May 23 and May 25 due to excessive warmth.
Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey questioned the necessity to contain GZRRC in the undertaking when “top wildlife experts from the NTCA, Wildlife Institute of India, South Africa, and Namibia are already part of it”.
“The government even sent staff from the Madhya Pradesh wildlife department for training in cheetah management in South Africa and Namibia. What did they learn?” he requested.
“And even if you have approached GZRRC, why keep it a secret? There is no mention of the support sought from Reliance Industries’ wildlife facility in the annual report of Project Cheetah,” he added.
The minutes of the Cheetah Project Monitoring Committee conferences, obtained by PTI by way of an RTI software, additionally don’t point out this involvement.
Besides wildlife specialists from NTCA, the Wildlife Institute of India and different authorities amenities, Kuno at the moment has a devoted workforce of 4 veterinarians for Project Cheetah.
It has additionally acquired veterinary assist and steerage from wildlife veterinarians in South Africa and Namibia, together with Adrian Tordiffe, hospital director at Onderstepoort Veterinary College, South Africa; Mike Toft from Kifaru Wildlife Veterinary Services, South Africa; Andy Fraser from Rooiberg Veterinary Services, South Africa; and Ana Basto from the Cheetah Conservation Fund, Namibia.
GZRRC director Mr. Gupta informed PTI that they had greater than 40 cheetahs rescued from totally different captive amenities.
However, GZRRC’s 2023-24 annual report submitted to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) says it acquired 56 cheetahs from South Africa and 15 from the UAE in 2023-24 alone.
Mr. Gupta mentioned all of the cheetahs are captive born in the nation of origin of the captive facility. There have been “no mortalities of cheetahs at GZRRC till date” and all of the animals are all “faring very well”.
According to Mr. Gupta, the Reliance’s facility has “some of the best veterinarians in wildlife health management”.
He mentioned the cheetah undertaking had been “doing very well”. “It has been noted that birth of several cubs has taken place on Indian soil and the survival rate is good in comparison to similar projects in other parts of the world.” When requested concerning the challenges of cheetah administration primarily based on their expertise, Mr. Gupta mentioned, “GZRRC specialises in the study, management, care and research of cheetahs within captive environments. The primary focus areas for cheetahs in captivity include veterinary care, nutrition, housing, exercise and enrichment. GZRRC has successfully established optimal standards across all these domains.” He emphasised that “the operation and management of a captive programme differ significantly from those of a re-wilding programme”.
The CZA granted approval for the organising of GZRRC on February 14, 2019, and accorded it recognition on August 17, 2020.
According to GZRRC’s 2023-24 annual report, the facility spans 277 hectares and employs 20 veterinarians, seven biologists, and over 400 animal keepers to care for its 10,360 animals.
New amenities corresponding to Rescue Centre for Herbivores, Asiatic Lion Care, Medical Research and Hospital, Cheetah Conservation and Research Centre, Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre and multi-specialty hospital had been added to GZRRC in 2023-24.
Published – September 08, 2024 01:03 am IST
