Namibian cheetahs thrive in India, boosting conservation efforts
via The Namibian4 min read
Translocated Namibian cheetahs in India's Kuno National Park are successfully spearheading the revival of the species in Asia, with the national cheetah population now at 57, including 37 Indian-born cubs. This milestone is attributed to the adaptability of individual cheetahs like Jwala, Aasha, and Siyaya, who have produced multiple litters. Jwala, a matriarch, recently delivered her third litter of five cubs, marking the tenth successful litter in India. Aasha has shown remarkable adaptability across varied habitats, while Siyaya's seven wild-born cubs have reached maturity and hunt independently. Male founders Elton and Oban also contributed to the genetic legacy before their deaths. The program achieved a critical benchmark when Mukhi, the first cheetah born in India under Project Cheetah, reached adulthood and gave birth to five cubs. These free-ranging cheetahs hunt naturally, maintaining a kill interval of 6.68 days on native prey. Despite initial challenges and sharing the landscape with native predators, adaptive management by Indian and Namibian scientific teams has led to high survival rates, with adult annual survival over 85% and juvenile cub survival nearly 70%. Project Cheetah, a symbol of South-South cooperation between Namibia and India, aims to restore open-forest and grassland ecosystems, drawing inspiration from India's successful Project Tiger.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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