India has agreed to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kenya, to import between 8 to 10 cheetahs as part of a wildlife conservation initiative.
The move comes after India faced challenges in conservation of cheetahs brought from South Africa and Namibia.
A draft of the MoU has been sent to the legal and treaties division of the Ministry of External Affairs for vetting.
In exchange, the government of India will offer long-term support to Kenya from their premier institutes like the Wildlife Institute of India, which includes regular training of forest staff and setting up of institutions to enhance conservation efforts in Kenya,
The planned deal to import cheetahs has been there for a while but was halted for some time since Kenya had changed its decision.
“We were ready to sign an MoU, but a last-minute change of mind on the Kenyan side led to putting the process on hold,” said a senior Indian official from the team that visited Kenya in August.
However, the official expressed optimism that the deal will be fruitful this time.
“We are hopeful that this time both the nations will work to establish a viable agreement, and new cheetahs would arrive by the end of the year or early next year at Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in MP,” the official said.
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The rationale for cheetahs’ importation by India
In December 2023, the Indian government officially proposed the importation of cheetahs from Kenya, even as they hosted 15 surviving animals brought from Namibia and South Africa at Kuno National Park.
“Details of the number of cheetahs that India wants and the number that Kenya can provide, and the timeline haven’t been talked about yet. But yes, the environment ministry has asked for cheetahs,” revealed an official from the Ministry of External Affairs.
According to the Ministry of Environment officials in India, importing animals from a northern hemisphere country was considered by them after encountering a unique problem called “winter coat”.
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This ordeal made animals grow thick fur to stay warm during winter.
However, when they were released into the wild in a hot, humid country like India, the heavy fur trapped moisture around their collars.
This caused skin infections and even deaths, which ultimately affected the success of the rehabilitation program.
As a result, the officials resorted to importing cheetahs from a northern hemisphere country like Kenya, according to mitigate such problems.
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