Cheetahs to be reintroduced in India and Mozambique

Sixteen animals from South Africa will be relocated to Mozambique and India, in order to repopulate the areas with these magnificent felines.

Conservationists are set to reintroduce the world’s fastest land mammals across India and Mozambique, as four cheetahs have already been sent to Mozambique and 12 more will fly to India in October, following quarantine, medical supervision and clearance.

Wildlife veterinarian Andy Frasier explained the complicated tranquillising process for the Associated Press:

“It’s a very stressful process for the cats to be in a boma [livestock enclosure] environment because they have nowhere to go whilst we are darting them. [...]

“We need to use our drug doses very carefully and make sure that we give them enough drugs to anaesthetise them safely.

“They have woken up nicely in their crates and they are all relaxed enough that we are happy for them to leave in their transport.”

In order to be prepared for their long trip to India, the animals will have to be sedated between three to five days, which can be very difficult to accomplish.

Namibia will join South Africa’s wildlife conservation efforts and will also send eight cheetahs to India this month, declared the manager of the Cheetah Metapopulation Initiative, Vincent van der Merwe.

“For a genetically viable population in India in the long-term you need at least 500 individuals, so every year we will send eight to 12 animals, to top them up, to increase numbers, to bring in new genetics until they have a viable population,” he added.

Upon arrival, the felines will be kept in supervised large enclosures in central Indian forests, protected from predators and visitors, but rich in deer and antelope for the cats to initially hunt. If everything goes according to plan, the cheetahs will be radio-collared and released into the wild after a few months of observation.

According to Vincent van der Merwe, the cheetah population in South Africa is growing at a rate of 8 percent each year, so the country can afford to relocate 30 animals to other areas where they are needed. Besides South Africa and Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are also expected to contribute to reintroduction of these felines to India in the near future. Mozambique’s Zambezi River Delta also needs help to repopulate, due to significant poaching reducing animal reserve in the region.

Source: aljazeera.com