New Delhi: The Madhya Pradesh forest department has refused to provide information under the Right to Information Act on the management of cheetahs brought from Africa and their cubs born in India. In response to wildlife activist Ajay Dubey’s request, the department cited Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, which allows withholding information that could impact national sovereignty, security, or foreign relations.
Dubey had requested “management correspondence records of the Cheetah Project in Kuno and Mandsaur.” Saurav Kumar Kabra, Public Information Officer in the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Madhya Pradesh, stated that this information would not be provided under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act.
Dubey noted that this is the first time information on Project Cheetah has been denied since the programme began with the release of eight Namibian cheetahs into Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022. He had previously received RTI information on the health of the first cheetah cub born in India, which revealed a fractured right leg on November 28. “I have been disclosing irregularities in big cat conservation since 2013, but this is the first time I received a reply stating that disclosure of information about cheetahs will affect national security or foreign relations,” Dubey told PTI.
The first batch of eight cheetahs was introduced in September 2022, followed by a second batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa in February. The government plans to introduce cheetahs into a fenced area in the Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary by the end of the year, with a focus on breeding. A proposal to set up a cheetah conservation breeding center in Gujarat’s Banni grasslands was also cleared by the Central Zoo Authority in February.
According to a Environment Ministry of India document, the long-term goal is to establish a metapopulation of cheetahs in the Kuno-Gandhisagar landscape, aiming for 60-70 individuals after restorative measures, prey availability, and scientific management are ensured. The cheetah conservation project faced initial criticism due to animal deaths but is now seen as progressing with the birth of 12 cubs this year.
Namibian cheetah Aasha gave birth to three cubs in January. Jwala, another female cheetah from Namibia, also gave birth to three cubs in January. South African cheetah Gamini gave birth to six cubs in March, bringing the total number of cheetahs, including cubs, in Kuno to 26.
Since March, seven adult cheetahs, including Shaurya, have died. The fatalities include Sasha, Uday, Daksha, Tejas, Suraj, Dhatri, and Shaurya, with the first six deaths occurring between March and August 2023.
