India has been working hard to replenish its African cheetah population over the past two years. For the same, the country is working on its diplomatic channels with Botswana, South Africa, and Kenya to navigate a complex set of negotiations.
Senior members of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) said that talks with South Africa have slowed down following the formation of a new political coalition last year. South Africa is the key source country for cheetahs in India. Alongside, Botswana has formally committed to sending four cheetahs, and discussions are underway to finalise the timeline. Negotiations with Kenya remain centred on long-term collaboration rather than immediate translocation.
A total of 20 cheetahs have already been brought to India as part of the country’s ambitious plan of translocation. Of these, eight were brought from Namibia in 2022, while 12 from South Africa in early 2023. All the cheetahs were stationed at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
The Madhya Pradesh government announced the arrival of eight cheetahs from Botswana by May this year, but that is yet to happen.
What Officials Say
“We have certain engagements to work out. The logistics are high. Our High Commissioner is coordinating to arrive at dates of mutual convenience. The Union Minister concerned has been working on speeding negotiations with the other countries,” said a senior official working for the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to the national media.
The Cheetah Project Steering Committee meeting concluded that as early as December 2023, the committee was apprised that “steps have been taken for bringing further cheetahs from Kenya, Tanzania, and Sudan and other range countries as well… No arrangements with Sudan or Tanzania.”
Cheetahs from Kuno National Park need to be translocated to the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary for housekeeping practices. A fresh lot of cheetahs from South Africa are to be housed in Kuno again.
“In South Africa, there has been a significant change in government since the last engagement. Hence the process is taking time. The new government is going through the new answers and understanding the project… Bringing cheetahs from South Africa may take time beyond three months since negotiations are underway,” said senior officials to the national media.
Committee On Tigers
While DIG of the NTCA, Dr. Vaibhav Mathur, said that the meeting apprised the committee, a high-level delegation has visited Kenya to resource cheetahs, and that action was underway for dialogue with the governments of Botswana and South Africa on sourcing of four cheetahs.
Madhya Pradesh wildlife officials are also involved in ground diplomacy. A state Forest Department officer told national media that they were part of the delegation to South Africa. “We have visited South Africa and held discussions with their team. We will soon issue an update after the NTCA delegation clears some issues… There are new officials and we are getting them up to speed with our preparations in Gandhi Sagar and our success with the project.”
Mathur also pointed out that the committee had a deadlock with South Africa, and that officials are trying to address it. He further added that he told the committee that an MoU with Kenya would be signed in the first week of March. Unlike Botswana, talks with Kenya have remained generic and overarching, with focus on capacity building for their staff, use of technology for protection, and similar collaborative efforts.
The chairman of the Cheetah Project Steering Committee, Dr. Rakesh Gopal, says that India is yet to get a fresh lot of cheetahs. “In the last hearing committee meeting, the Government of India informed us that discussions are ongoing. Several countries are being explored. We haven’t narrowed it down to one yet. There are options on the table.”
