Page 3 - Wildlife

Female cheetah to soon give birth to cubs at Kuno National Park: CM Yadav

A female cheetah is pregnant and expected to deliver cubs soon at the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav shared the information in a post on social media platform X late Saturday night and said this symbolises a big achievement for the 'Cheetah Project'. On September 17, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight cheetahs -- five females and three males -- brought from Namibia into enclosures at the KNP as part of the world's first intercontinental translocation of the big cats, nearly eight decades after the cheetahs were hunted to extinction. In February 2023, another 12 cheetahs were translocated to the national park in MP from South Africa as part of the Indian government's project to reintroduce cheetahs into the country. Yadav in the post on X said, "Happiness is coming to Kuno. A female cheetah is soon going to give birth to new cubs in the Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh, the 'Cheetah State' of the ...

Wildlife Board approves 5 roads in Ladakh, including Daulat Beg Oldie route

The National Board for Wildlife has approved five critical road projects, four of which pass through the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary along the Line of Actual Control, and one road to Daulat Beg Oldie

Cheetahs at Kuno to be released into wild in phases starting late October

"The cheetahs at Kuno National Park will be released into large unfenced areas by the end of the month in a phased manner," an official stated

Monitored wildlife populations plunged 73% in 50 years: WWF report

Monitored wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73 per cent in just 50 years from 1970 to 2020, primarily due to habitat loss, climate change, and pollution, according to a new report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The 'Living Planet Report' 2024 also revealed sharp declines in three species of vultures in India, with populations dropping dramatically between 1992 and 2022. The white-rumped vulture population has declined by 67 per cent, the Indian vulture by 48 per cent, and the slender-billed vulture by 89 per cent. Globally, the steepest decline is reported in freshwater ecosystems (85 per cent), followed by terrestrial ecosystems (69 per cent) and marine ecosystems (56 per cent). Habitat loss and degradation, driven primarily by food systems, is the most commonly reported threat to wildlife populations worldwide, followed by overexploitation, invasive species, and disease, the report said. In India, some wildlife populations have stabilized and shown ..

MP's Kuno National Park reopens, but tourists wait to see cheetahs

The Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, the only home of cheetahs in the country, reopened for tourists on Sunday after being shut for the annual monsoon season. But, the two-year wait of visitors to get a glimpse of the cheetahs is not yet over as the felines have not been released into the wild so far. Nearly eight decades after the cheetahs were hunted to extinction, eight large carnivores were brought from Namibia to the KNP in September 2022 and put in bomas (enclosures) to revive their population in India. Later, 12 cheetahs were brought from South Africa in February 2023 as part of the Indian government's project to reintroduce cheetahs into the country. The park, spread over an area of 1,235 sq km including 487 sq km buffer zone, has reopened and visitors are allowed from 6.30 am to 10 am and from 3 pm to 6 pm, KNP's director Uttam Sharma told PTI on Sunday. He said the park is home to 24 cheetahs, the fastest land animals, including 12 adults brought from Namibia and So

Wildlife hospital starts on second anniversary of cheetah reintroduction

A wildlife hospital was inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on Tuesday to mark the second anniversary of the arrival of cheetahs at the Kuno National Park (KNP) as part of an ambitious reintroduction program. State Forest Minister Ramniwas Rawat inaugurated the hospital for cheetahs in Palpur area, constructed at a cost of Rs 2.29 crore. That 12 cheetah cubs were born on Indian soil over the last two years testifies to the project's success, claimed the minister, speaking at the function at Sesaipura village. However, the project has also seen setbacks with eight adult cheetahs and five cubs dying during the same period. All surviving cheetahs are currently in enclosures. The Indian government is aiming to revive the cheetah population in the country after the species, the fastest land animal, became extinct in the wild decades ago. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his birthday on September 17, 2022, released eight cheetahs imported from Namibia -- five females and t

Two years of Project Cheetah: Triumphs, trials and road ahead this year

Several promising births, fewer but painful losses, growing optimism and some criticism marked the second year of the internationally acclaimed Project Cheetah, which looks ahead with renewed hope and ambition amid many challenges. As the grand initiative completes two years on Tuesday, authorities are speeding up efforts to bring in a new batch of cheetahs from Africa to the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which will be their second home in India, and setting up a conservation breeding centre in the Bunni grasslands in Gujarat. They also aim to establish a larger cheetah habitat, spanning the territorial divisions of Neemuch (about 1,000 sq km) and Mandsaur (500 sq km) in Madhya Pradesh, along with the Bhainsrorgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (208 sq km) and Chittorgarh (around 1,000 sq km) in Rajasthan. In a major boost to the project, 13 cubs were born on Indian soil in the second year, though two of them did not survive. Namibian cheetah Aasha gave birth to three cubs in January. Anoth

KNP to hold events for 2nd anniversary of cheetah reintroduction project

The Kuno National Park (KNP) will hold programmes, including the inauguration of a wildlife hospital, on September 17 to mark the second anniversary of the cheetah reintroduction project. The project, launched in 2022, has seen the deaths of eight big cats and five cubs. The KNP management released a video on Sunday with clips of cheetahs and cubs in the park. Under the ambitious Cheetah Reintroduction project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight Namibian cheetahs, five females and three males, into enclosures at the KNP to mark his birthday on September 17, 2022. In February 2023, 12 cheetahs were translocated from South Africa. State Forest Minister Ramniwas Rawat will attend various programmes at the national park, including the inauguration of a wildlife hospital for cheetahs. A KNP official said the forest minister will visit the enclosures of the cheetahs and inaugurate a wildlife hospital for cheetahs in Palpur. Besides meeting residents of villages around KNP, th

Two years of Project Cheetah: India awaits Kenya's approval for new batch

The MoU process to bring a new batch of cheetahs from Kenya is in progress, with India having finalised its part and awaiting approval from the African country, a senior official has said. Cheetahs for the breeding centre being built in Gujarat's Bunni grasslands will also be brought from Kenya, SP Yadav, the director general of the International Big Cat Alliance, told PTI editors during a recent interaction here. As part of the first-ever intercontinental translocation of the big cats, 20 cheetahs have been brought to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh so far -- eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023. Since they arrived in India, eight adult cheetahs -- three females and five males -- have died. Seventeen cubs have been born in India, with 12 surviving, bringing the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno to 24. Currently, all are in enclosures. The grand initiative completes two years on September 17. The 'Action Plan for .

Centre turned to Reliance's wildlife facility after cheetah deaths in Kuno

After three cheetahs died in just over a month last year in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, the National Tiger Conservation Authority in May 2023 called in experts from Reliance's wildlife facility in Gujarat to review health monitoring protocols, official records show. 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 team of experts be sent to Kuno to "review health monitoring protocols" and provide advice to "ensure the welfare of the cheetahs" following the deaths of three spotted felines between March 27 and May 9. Kumar's letter said Project Cheetah was the first intercontinental reintroduction of a wild, large carnivore species with "no comparable historical precedent" and it was not surprising that a project of such a "magnitude and complexity would face many ...

Namibia's drought triggers wildlife culling; Vantara steps in with help

The Vantara Foundation has expressed deep concern over the severe impact of the drought on Namibian wildlife

National Wildlife Day 2024: Why is this observed; all you need to know

National Wildlife Day highlights the critical need to protect endangered species and prevent their extinction, also to encourage a shared sense of responsibility towards all living beings

Revenge tendency among wolves behind attacks in UP's Bahraich: Expert

As Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich grapples with wolf terror, an expert has said the series of attacks on the residents of Mehsi tehsil might be due to wolves "seeking revenge" for possible habitat loss or killing of their cubs. Wolf attacks on humans, including children, have been taking place in Bahraich since March but they saw a spike from July 17 onwards during the rainy season. Till September 2, eight people, including seven children, have died in these attacks while about 36, including women, children and elderly, have been injured. Gyan Prakash Singh, a retired officer of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) and a former forest officer at Katarniaghat Wildlife Division of Bahraich district, said wolves, unlike other predatory animals, have a tendency to seek revenge. "On the basis of my experience, I can say that wolves have a tendency to take revenge. In the past, humans must have caused some kind of harm to their cubs due to which these attacks are happening as revenge," Singh, who i

Namibia's drought crisis: Over 700 wild animals to be killed for food

The drought has depleted 84% of Namibia's food reserves, putting nearly half of the country's 2.5 million people at risk of severe food shortages from July to September

After elephants, monkeys found to call each other by 'name' in new study

After elephants, now monkeys have been found to make specific sounds to name each other, according to a new study. Researchers found that marmoset monkeys, native to South America, use specific vocal calls, called "phee-calls", to identify and communicate with each other. A study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution in June showed that wild African elephants addressed each other with name-like calls, uniquely invented for each individual. Calls meant for other elephants did get responded to. In this study, published in the journal Science, the researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, recorded natural conversations between pairs of marmosets, as well as interactions between monkeys and a computer system. The team found that these monkeys used their "phee-calls" to address specific individuals. "They (the monkeys) also perceived and responded correctly to calls that were specifically directed at them," the authors wrote. They said that naming of

Assam govt to notify Poba Reserve Forest as wildlife sanctuary: State min

The Poba Reserve Forest, a rainforest located in the northeastern part of Assam, will soon be notified as a wildlife sanctuary, state Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said. The proposed Poba Wildlife Sanctuary will encompass an area of 257.29 sq km, including the Poba Reserve Forest, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest and the surrounding riverine areas, he said. Making the announcement on Friday, the minister said it is a testament of the government's commitment for conservation and sustainable development of the state's natural resources and biodiversity. Known for its rich wildlife, Poba Reserve Forest serves as an important migratory route for various animals, particularly elephants, as it connects the D' Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, Kabu Chapri Proposed Reserve Forest and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, an official statement said. This corridor is the second significant elephant migration route from the north to the south bank of the Brahmaputra river

Officials expediting efforts to bring next batch of cheetahs by year-end

India has expedited efforts to bring a new batch of 12-14 cheetahs by the end of the year, with a delegation set to visit South Africa soon for ground-to-ground negotiations, officials said on Tuesday. PTI has learned that negotiations are also ongoing with Kenya, and a memorandum of understanding is being finalized. "We are actively engaging with South Africa on the matter. A delegation will visit the country in late September or early October to hold ground-to-ground negotiations. The next batch of cheetahs could come from either of these two countries," the official said. The 'Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India' talks about bringing around 12-14 cheetahs each year from South Africa, Namibia, and other African countries for five years to establish a founder stock. "We have communicated to South Africa that we want to expedite efforts to bring another batch of cheetahs by the end of the year as per the recommendation of the Cheetah Project Steering Committee and in

Another Namibian male cheetah, Pawan, dies at Kuno National Park in MP

Namibian cheetah, Pawan, died in the wild at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, an official said. The latest cheetah fatality at KNP was reported weeks after a five-month-old cub of African cheetah, Gamini, died on August 5. The male cheetah, Pawan, was found lying near the edge of a swollen nullah amidst bushes without any movement at around 10.30 AM on Tuesday, as per a statement issued by the office of the Additional Principal Chief Conservation of Forest (APCCF) and Director of Lion Project, Uttam Sharma. Veterinarians were informed and a closer inspection disclosed that the front half of the cheetah's carcass, including the head, was inside the water. No external injuries were seen anywhere on the body, as per the statement. The preliminary cause of death seems to be drowning. Further details will be provided after the postmortem report is received, it said. With the death of Pawan, KNP is left with 24 cheetahs, including 12 adults and as many cubs.

Sunderbans tigers count to rise in conducive habitat with no threat

The number of tigers in the Sunderbans is likely to rise in the next census as there is no threat of saturation and sufficient prey base in the 4,200 sq km area of the mangrove forest, a senior forest official said. The number of Royal Bengal Tigers in West Bengal's Sunderbans as per the 2022 census was 101. "The 2022 tiger census count of 101 is nowhere close to carrying capacity in near future... ," Chief Wildlife Warden Debal Roy told PTI. "On a terrain like the Sunderbans carrying capacity means the number of tigers per 100 sq km. If you keep in mind that Sunderbans has an area of 4,200 sq km and calculate, the carrying capacity of tigers will be far below than any saturation level," he said. Roy said the prey bass consisting of spotted deer is regularly replenished for the tiger population and the forest department is working on steps like anti-poaching, anti-trafficking and barring entry of fishermen, honey collectors, wood collectors and other villagers living in contiguous

International Tiger Day: Big cat mortality drops 29% so far in 2024

The year 2023 was the worst for the tiger population, recording the highest number of mortalities in a decade with 178 tigers dying