Ahmedabad/New Delhi: Incessant rainfall in Kutch this yr has delayed the institution of a ₹20-crore cheetah conservation breeding centre within the Banni grasslands, a undertaking sanctioned by the Centre, mentioned officers on Saturday.
“The Nationwide Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) didn’t set a selected deadline for the undertaking, however the Gujarat authorities had aimed to finish it by December. Nonetheless, because of the delays attributable to the heavy rains, the undertaking is now anticipated to be completed by March or April subsequent yr,” mentioned a senior Gujarat forest official, who requested anonymity.
He added that the Centre had already launched ₹3 crore for the undertaking.
Kutch district, which homes the Banni grasslands, witnessed distinctive rainfall this yr, receiving 185% of its seasonal common by August 2024. The heavy downpours, which precipitated widespread flooding, disrupted the groundwork for this important conservation undertaking, forcing authorities to reassess their implementation technique within the area.
Earlier this yr, the central zoo authority (CZA) accepted the institution of a cheetah conservation breeding centre within the Banni grasslands to facilitate the reintroduction of cheetahs to Gujarat after many years.
The centre is designed to accommodate 16 cheetahs, furthering India’s wildlife conservation efforts, mentioned officers.
The Gujarat forest division has arrange a 500-hectare enclosure in Banni, Kutch, for the breeding centre. The undertaking consists of the development of fencing, habitat redevelopment, and the institution of a hospital.
“Now we have constructed a hospital, an administrative unit, and a quarantine unit. Moreover, we now have designated 70-80 hectares of Buma, a managed and enclosed space throughout the breeding centre, for the smooth launch of cheetahs. This space will assist the cheetahs transition step by step from the quarantine unit to the bigger breeding enclosure, permitting them to adapt to their new atmosphere,” mentioned Sandeep Kumar, chief conservator of forest (CCF), Kutch territorial forest circle.
Banni was chosen from ten potential websites recognized in 2009 for cheetah reintroduction as a consequence of its savannah-like habitat, which resembles east African landscapes. The area additionally options Pilu bushes (Salvadora persica), offering appropriate perching spots. Traditionally, cheetahs had been current within the space, with information of cheetah searching in Saurashtra and Dahod till 1921 and references to their presence in Gujarat till the early Nineteen Forties, mentioned officers.
To help the cheetahs, the forest division has improved about 14,000 hectares of grasslands at Banni and launched a chinkara (gazella) breeding program to bolster the prey base.
“To this point, 40 chinkaras have been launched in phases to determine the prey base. These animals, sourced from the Rampara Wildlife Sanctuary, had been launched in batches of 20, 10, and 10, with the ultimate section accomplished lately. Subsequent, the forest division goals to introduce blackbucks,” mentioned Kumar.
HT sought a remark from the ministry of atmosphere, forest and local weather change (MOEF&CC) concerning the delay within the undertaking and is awaiting a response.
In December 2023, a proposal initiated by the Gujarat authorities and submitted to the Nationwide Compensatory Afforestation Fund Administration Authority (Nationwide CAMPA) was accepted by the manager committee of Nationwide CAMPA.
The Banni grasslands, together with the Kutch Desert Sanctuary, cowl roughly 5,000 km² within the Kutch district of north-western Gujarat. The world lies south of the Rann of Kutch mudflats, and components of it get inundated by seawater in the course of the wet season.
The centre will introduce cheetahs both from Namibia or South Africa, together with Kenya, with an equal mixture of women and men, mentioned one other authorities official conscious of the matter.
The first focus of this conservation centre will likely be cheetah breeding and growth, not tourism, officers emphasised.
“We could take into account free-ranging cheetahs within the area with some tourism exercise, maybe a decade or two later as soon as a considerable inhabitants has been established,” the official added.
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“With correct administration methods and plans to revive the habitat on this presently degraded system, ungulate densities can improve considerably. Below such circumstances, it will be doable for this area to help as many as 55 cheetahs, as per carrying capability estimates,” reads a report, ‘Assessing the Potential for Reintroducing the Cheetah in India’ ready by the Wildlife Belief of India and Wildlife Institute of India for the MOEF&CC.
The area is house to numerous carnivores, together with hyenas, wolves, jackals, Indian foxes, caracals, and jungle cats. It additionally hosts seasonal guests just like the lesser florican and Houbara bustard and boasts round 32 species of palatable however salt-tolerant grasses. Three Nice Indian Bustards have been reported in Abdasa grasslands, about 40 km away.
The Banni undertaking initiative comes over two years after the launch of the cheetah reintroduction undertaking at Kuno Nationwide Park in Madhya Pradesh on September 17, 2022.
