Amid concerns over the habitat of cheetahs introduced from Africa, the Centre has approved a proposal to film a 4-part web series on ‘Project Cheetah’ to showcase the country’s efforts to the world. It is learnt that the shooting may begin in September, possibly around September 17, the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the second anniversary of ‘Project Cheetah’.
In a letter to the chief wildlife warden of Madhya Pradesh on July 21, NTCA deputy inspector general Vaibhav Chandra Mathur said the authority’s eighth technical committee has approved a proposal for a web series on ‘Project Cheetah’, the world’s first initiative to resettle cheetahs in another country.
“In this regard, it is requested that M/s Shane Films and Planting Productions may kindly be provided the facility to carry out filming in Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary as per the standard terms and conditions, so that the efforts of the country can be showcased to the world,” the letter said.
The state’s Chief Wildlife Warden approved the proposal on August 6. According to the proposal, the web series will be broadcast on Discovery Network in 170 countries in various languages.
The aim of the web series is to highlight the concept of the project, the difficulties faced in bringing cheetahs to India, the status of cheetahs and future expectations. The proposal states that its aim is to make people understand the nuances of this huge project.
The web series makers, who have previously collaborated with NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India, have also approached Madhya Pradesh Tourism and ‘MP Tiger Foundation’ for financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to implement the project.
An official, requesting anonymity, said, “Financial assistance is not possible, but we will provide full support for filming the web series as per instructions.” Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey questioned the haste in making the documentary and said that the project faces many challenges, which must be addressed first.
He also questioned the process of granting permission to film the web series and said that records show that the Cheetah Project Steering Committee never discussed the issue. This committee was formed in May last year to monitor and review the progress of the project and advise the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and NTCA on its implementation.
So far, 20 cheetahs have been brought to India from Africa. Eight were brought from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023. Some of the cheetahs were initially released into the wild but were sent back to enclosures after three cheetahs died of septicemia by August 13 last year.
Pawan, the only cheetah roaming freely, was found dead on Tuesday. Authorities have cited drowning as the primary cause of his death. In a meeting last week, the steering committee decided to release the cheetahs and their cubs in the wild in a phased manner after the monsoon retreats from the central regions of the country, which usually happens by the first week of October.
The project was initially criticised for the deaths of cheetahs. However, after the birth of 12 cubs this year, officials say the project is moving in the right direction. Eight adult cheetahs, including three females and five males, have died since their arrival in India. 17 cubs have been born in India, of which 12 survived.
According to officials, India has also stepped up efforts to bring in a new batch of Cheetahs by the end of the year, and a delegation will soon visit South Africa for ground level talks. PTI has learnt that talks are also underway with Kenya, and a MoU is being finalised.
The ‘Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetahs in India’ talks of bringing about 12-14 cheetahs per year from South Africa, Namibia and other African countries for five years. The next batch of cheetahs will be brought to Gandhi Sagar, which has been chosen as the second location, as Kuno has already exceeded its capacity of housing 20 cheetahs.
