Why in News ?
- Madhya Pradesh government is preparing Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (Sagar–Damoh–Narsinghpur belt) as India’s third cheetah site after Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
- The first batch of cheetahs to Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary is expected in 2026, but the major challenge is presence of ~25 tigers already in Nauradehi, posing risks to cheetah adaptation and survival.
Relevance:
• GS-3 (Environment & Biodiversity): Concerns species reintroduction, habitat restoration, and India’s cheetah meta-population model.
• GS-3 (Conservation): Aligns with Green India Mission and UNCCD land restoration goals.
• GS-3 (Geography): Studies central Indian landscape connectivity — Satpura–Panna–Bandhavgarh corridor.
• GS-3 (Ecology & Sustainable Development): Promotes eco-tourism and community-led conservation for livelihood diversification.
Background: Project Cheetah
- Launched: 2022; world’s first intercontinental large carnivore reintroduction project.
- Objective: Reintroduce Asiatic cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) to India after their extinction in 1952.
- Implementation:
- Led by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), MoEFCC, and WII in collaboration with Cheetah Conservation Fund (Namibia).
- Import sources: Namibia (2022, 8 cheetahs) and South Africa (2023, 12 cheetahs).
- Sites:
- Kuno National Park (Sheopur, MP) – 748 sq km
- Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary (Mandsaur–Neemuch, MP) – under preparation
- Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary (Sagar, Damoh, Narsinghpur, MP) – proposed new site
About Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
- Established: 1975; located between Satpura and Vindhya ranges.
- Area: ~1,197 sq km (core), part of a 5500 sq km landscape including buffer and corridors.
- Eco-significance:
- Forms a corridor between Panna Tiger Reserve and Satpura Tiger Reserve, and indirectly connects Bandhavgarh–Rani Durgavati–Satpura landscape.
- Potential “stepping stone” for meta-population connectivity across central India.
- Habitat: Dry deciduous forests, grasslands, scrub, rivers (Bewa, Kopra).
- Wildlife: Tiger (~25 individuals), leopard, chital, chinkara, nilgai, wild boar, hyena, crocodile.
- Prey base (2020 census):
- 4,788 nilgai, 1,796 chital, 1,556 chinkara.
- Average prey density: ~15.8 animals/sq km, comparable to Kuno’s carrying capacity.
Cheetah Reintroduction Plan in Nauradehi
- Aim: Establish a viable third cheetah population in central India to reduce overdependence on Kuno.
- Habitat readiness:
- Good grassland quality (crucial for cheetah hunting).
- Existing infrastructure and staff from tiger management.
- Challenges:
- Presence of 25 tigers – potential predator conflict and competition.
- Relocation of local villages: 93 identified; 44 already shifted.
- Need for ₹8 crore (₹5.2 crore sanctioned) for habitat preparation and fencing.
- Water scarcity, dry deciduous habitat limit prey in dry months.
- Mitigation:
- Create large enclosures (50–52 sq km) for soft release.
- Strengthen prey density and water availability.
- Relocate remaining human settlements before cheetah arrival (by 2026).
Ecological & Administrative Significance
- Acts as a biological corridor within the Satpura–Panna–Bandhavgarh landscape, strengthening genetic flow.
- Opportunity to convert a neglected sanctuary into a global conservation site.
- Provides habitat redundancy – critical after cheetah mortalities in Kuno (9 deaths in 2023).
- May promote eco-tourism and conservation-linked livelihood for 50+ surrounding villages.
Challenges & Concerns
- Predator coexistence: Cheetahs vulnerable to tiger and leopard attacks — need isolation enclosures.
- Human–wildlife conflict: Local grazing and fuelwood dependence persists.
- Climate & resource stress: Dry zones face summer prey depletion and fire risk.
- Connectivity vs. safety trade-off: Corridors beneficial for genetics but increase predator overlap.
- Financial & administrative delays: State demand for additional funding from NTCA.
Comparative Data
| Parameter | Kuno NP | Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary | Nauradehi WLS |
| Area (sq km) | 748 | 368 (core) | 1,197 |
| Apex predators | None initially | Few leopards | 25 tigers |
| Villages relocated | 24 | 19 (in process) | 44 done, 49 pending |
| Habitat type | Grassland–deciduous | Semi-arid scrub | Dry deciduous grassland |
| Prey base | ~3,500 ungulates | Moderate | ~8,000 ungulates |
Way Forward
- Habitat zoning: Demarcate cheetah-exclusive and tiger-dominant zones.
- Soft-release strategy: Gradual acclimatisation of cheetahs in fenced areas.
- Community-based conservation: Compensation, eco-tourism jobs, and grazing alternatives.
- Integrated landscape management: Link Satpura–Panna–Bandhavgarh corridor under a single conservation cluster.
- Monitoring via e-surveillance: Use drones, camera traps, and satellite collars.
Broader Context
- India aims for a self-sustaining population of ~50 cheetahs across multiple sites by 2035.
- The meta-population model (similar to South Africa’s system) will ensure genetic exchange and species viability.
- Rewilding degraded grasslands aligns with India’s UNCCD land restoration target (26 mha by 2030).
