Diabytes
Extinct in 1952, Indian govt to bring back this big 'Wildcat'
On March 3, which is celebrated as World Wildlife Day, Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change shared a tweet on India's wildlife and biodiversity. The Minister shared that the government is reintroducing Cheetah in India. The wild cat went extinct in the country in 1952.
Why Cheetah went extinct?
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Cheetah went extinct in India in 1952. Hunting, poaching, loss of habitat were reasons for its extinction.
Re-introduction project started way back in 2009
In 2009, the project to bring African cheetah's to india was first introduced by Jairam Ramesh, then minister for environment and forests. The project, however was stayed by the Supreme Court in 2012. The court observed that the African cheetah was an alien and exotic species and the National Board for Wildlife,which is the apex wildlife body in the country was not consulted in the matter.
SC changes its mind in 2020
After the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) reported that African cheetah can be introduced in Indian forests, in January 2020, the Supreme Court gave its approval to the introduction of the fastest mammal on land on an experimental basis.
What next?
The Supreme Court directed a three-member committee of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to introduce African cheetahs into the Indian habitats.
Apprehensions on the success of the plan
Cheetah is the mildest of the wild cats, so there is apprehension on how the plan will work out. As there is shrinking of forests and preys for the wild cat to hunt on.
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