Indian scientist behind Cheetah project not on task force: Report
Noted Indian biologist and the man who brought cheetahs to India, Yadavendradev Vikramsinh Jhala, has reportedly not been included in the government's Cheetah Task Force. Jhala, who headed the Cheetah project for over 13 years, and brought in the first batch of Namibian cheetahs last month, has been kept out of the list, The Indian Express reported. Here's all about the development.
Why does this story matter?
The cheetah—the world's fastest land animal capable of reaching a speed of over 110 kilometers per hour—went extinct in India in 1952 due to habitat loss and overhunting. On September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released eight cheetahs into Kuno National Park. However, Project Cheetah had been years in the making. Its seeds were first laid under former PM Manmohan Singh.
Jhala part of Cheetah Project since 2009
Jhala's exclusion from the Government of India task force has raised eyebrows. He is said to have prepared the technical ground for India's ambitious Cheetah Project under both United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments since 2009. He was part of the Cheetah Task Force set up in 2009, headed by MK Ranjitsinh, and looked after its technical team ever since.
Jhala with Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Namibia
Accompanied cheetahs on flight, looked after them in Kuno
Notably, Jhala, the Dean of Wildlife Institute of India, accompanied the Cheetahs on their flight from Namibia to India on September 16. They were quarantined at Kuno under his care. "He monitored the cheetahs in Kuno for a week before going on leave," the report said. Notably, he was the lead author of India's Cheetah Action Plan, finalized in January 2022.
'May have rubbed establishment the wrong way'
Sources said Jhala may have "rubbed the establishment the wrong way." He reportedly refused to allow the cheetahs to travel from Gwalior to Kuno in a Chinook helicopter because of the noise stress it would have caused. "Jhala put his foot down and the cheetahs were flown in two Mi-17 helicopters with Jhala being on board," an official said. The Chinook flew government officials.
Jhala not included in list of dignitaries
Sources further claimed that Jhala was not included in the list of 20 dignitaries who could meet and be photographed with PM Modi during his visit to Kuno. However, another senior government official contended, "Jhala was not the only senior official whose proximity pass could not be made." The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) set up its task force on September 20.
New team to decide cheetahs' future
The NTCA task-force consists of nine members who will now decide when and how the cheetahs will be moved to larger enclosures and allowed to be seen by the public. To recall, the Cheetah Project was shot down by the Supreme Court in 2013 but revived by NTC in 2017. Chief Ranjitsinh said he was not consulted on members for the new task force.
