Project Cheetah: Bringing Back a Lost Species

How India reintroduced cheetahs from Africa in 2022, the costs and challenges of the project, and the debate over whether it is good value for conservation.

The Asiatic cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952, after hunting and habitat loss. In September 2022, India launched Project Cheetah, bringing cheetahs from Africa to reintroduce the species.

The project

Eight cheetahs from Namibia were released into Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in September 2022.
Twelve more arrived from South Africa in February 2023.
Cubs were born in India, though several adults and cubs died from causes such as infections, heat and fights.
Plans include expanding to other sites, such as Gandhi Sagar in Madhya Pradesh.

Goals

Restore a lost species to Indian ecosystems.
Improve grassland and savanna conservation, habitats often neglected compared with forests.
Boost tourism and national pride.

Costs and challenges

Financial costs of transport, monitoring, enclosures and veterinary care.
Habitat: cheetahs need large, prey-rich open landscapes. Critics questioned whether Kuno was large enough.
Adaptation to climate and diseases.
Human-wildlife conflict when cheetahs roam outside parks.

The debate

Supporters argue:

Cheetah conservation could restore grasslands and bring attention and funding to them.
Africa’s cheetah numbers are also declining, and new populations add security.

Critics argue:

The money might achieve more if spent on protecting existing threatened species and habitats, such as the great Indian bustard, a critically endangered grassland bird.
African cheetahs are a different subspecies from the Asiatic cheetah.

The economics of priorities

Conservation budgets are limited. Economists use cost-effectiveness thinking: which actions protect the most biodiversity per rupee? High-profile projects can attract extra funding, but may also divert resources.

The grassland question

A conservation manager has a limited budget. She can spend it on cheetah monitoring or on protecting grassland habitat for the great Indian bustard. The choice illustrates the trade-offs in conservation spending.

Thinking bringing back a species is always the best conservation investment

Reintroductions can be valuable, but costs and alternatives must be weighed against other conservation needs.

Key takeaways

The Asiatic cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952.
Project Cheetah brought cheetahs from Namibia (2022) and South Africa (2023) to Kuno.
Deaths, habitat size and costs have been challenges.
Critics argue funds might achieve more protecting existing threatened species.