On January 28, 2020 a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde allowed the National Tiger Conservative Authority (NTCA) to bring African Cheetah Namibia to India on an experimental basis. The National Tiger Conservative Authority (NTCA) has taken this action and asked for permission of the Court because cheetahs are on the edge of extinction in India and can be only be found in zoos in the country but do not exist in natural habitats.
The Apex Court said that for the purpose of relocation of African Cheetahs into Indian habitat, it is necessary to first find a suitable place for them and understand what they need for their proper development and comfort. For this purpose, the Apex Court has set up a three-member committee, comprising former director Wildlife of India Ranjit Singh, DG of Wildlife of India, Dhananjay Mohan, and DIG, Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests to guide the NTCA in taking a decision on the issue.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde, Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Surya Kant said that the Apex Court will monitor the project and the committee will submit its report every four months.
The National Tiger Conservative Authority (NTCA) had first filed a plea in 2010 requesting permission to introduce African Cheetahs from Namibia as the animal has become extinct in India. But in 2013, the top court had declined the plea seeking relocation of African Cheetah at Kuno National Park. "Kuno sanctuary is not a natural habitat for African Cheetah. Experts say no species be considered for introduction to a new habitat until the factors which limit its distribution and abundance in the native range have been studied and understood by competent ecologists,” said the Apex Court in its 2013 order.
Citing this order, the top court struck down an order by Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), as it had not conducted a detailed study on the introduction of foreign species.
On 22 February 2019, the National Tiger Conservative Authority (NTCA) had told the apex court that African Cheetahs to be translocated to India from Namibia will be kept at the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
The authority also said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which provides inputs to governments and institutions on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development, has given no objection for the translocation process. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it had informed the court, has agreed to cooperate in translocating the animals.
Author – Satwik Sharma
