New Delhi: The ambitious cheetah reintroduction project in India is facing a new hurdle – the clash of biorhythms. Cheetahs brought from Southern Hemisphere countries like South Africa and Namibia have been struggling to adapt to the Indian climate, resulting in unexpected health complications and even death.
Official records reveal that India is considering sourcing new cheetahs from countries closer to the equator or in the Northern Hemisphere, like Somalia, Tanzania and Sudan, to avoid the biorhythm issues. The cheetahs from the Southern Hemisphere have been developing thick winter coats during the Indian summer and monsoon, anticipating the African winter. This unexpected change in coat has led to health issues, with maggot infestations and blood infections causing the death of three cheetahs.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has acknowledged the problem, emphasising the importance of syncing cheetahs’ biorhythms with the local climate. Despite the concerns, discussions are ongoing with Southern Hemisphere countries to bring in new cheetahs.
“Talks are ongoing with all countries, including South Africa and Namibia, but we have not formally approached anyone. Currently, our focus is on addressing immediate issues, such as augmenting the prey base, managing the leopard population and readying the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary,” a source told news agency PTI.
The project’s steering committee meetings have highlighted the issue of biorhythm mismatch, recommending sourcing cheetahs from Northern Hemisphere countries to avoid further complications. Although the taxonomic variation between subspecies is not considered significant, the committee believes that adapting to the different climate regimes is crucial for the cheetahs’ well-being.
“For want of biorhythmic adjustment, some cheetahs have succumbed to ectoparasitic infections during their pelage change, which was synced with the climate conditions of their earlier habitat. The third filial generation from surviving cheetahs would be more resistant and better adapted to Kuno conditions,” Chairman Rajesh Gopal had said during a steering committee meeting on August 10 last year.
The NTCA is focusing on addressing immediate concerns, including increasing the prey base, managing the leopard population, and preparing the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary for future cheetah introductions.
Some of the 20 cheetahs brought to India so far — eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa last February — were initially released into the wild but were brought back to their enclosures by August 13 last year after three cheetahs died due to septicemia.
In a meeting on Friday, the steering committee decided to release the African cheetahs and their cubs, born in India, into the wild in a phased manner after the monsoon withdraws from central parts of the country, which typically happens by the first week of October.
“While adult cheetahs will be released into the wild in phases once the rains end, the cubs and their mothers will be released after December,” an official told PTI.
All 25 cheetahs — 13 adults and 12 cubs — are currently doing well. The animals have been vaccinated to protect them against diseases and given prophylactic medicine to prevent infections, according to the official.