Context:
=> Recently, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian Oil Corporation to relocate cheetahs from Africa to India, under Project Cheetah.
- As a part of the MoU, the IOC will grant Rs 50.22 crore over four years period, for the project.
- Currently, the total cost of relocation project is Rs 75 crore.
Key Points:
=> Indian Oil- NTCA MoU is in continuation with the MoU inked between India and Namibia on July 20, 2022 for wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilisation, to re-establish cheetah in historical range in India.
=> Indian Oil will provide funds as a part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR).
=> It will be used to reintroduce cheetah as well as for ecology development, habitat management & protection, veterinary healthcare and staff training. Indian Oil has become the first corporate to come forward to support ‘Project Cheetah’ under CSR.
=> Project Cheetah is nationally important and is also essential to balance the ecosystem.
Relocation of Cheetah:
- In India, Cheetahs got extinct in 1952 due to hunting activities.
- As a result, Union government initiated the ‘Cheetah Relocation’ project.
- This project is being implemented slowly after Supreme Court in allowed the Union Government to do so in January 2020.
- Earlier, India had planned to relocate Asiatic Cheetah to India from Iran.
- But plan changed to introduce African Cheetah, due to recent development in India-Iran relations.
- During 19th meeting of NCTA, Environment Ministry released ‘Action plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India’.
- Under the action plan, 50 African Cheetah from Namibia will be located to India in next 5 years.
- 10-12 Cheetah will be relocated during first year, in the Kuno Palpur National Park of Madhya Pradesh.