BENGALURU: India’s cheetah conservation narrative received a shot in the arm on Saturday as Karnataka joined the national movement to revive the population of cheetahs, once extinct in the country. A total of four cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) arrived at Bannerghatta in the wee hours of Saturday from South Africa as part of an approved animal exchange programme, marking the beginning of a fresh conservation initiative in Bengaluru. However, unlike the cheetahs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, which are part of in-situ conservation, the latest arrivals from Induna Primate and Parrot Park in South Africa — comprising two males and two females — are part of an ex-situ conservation programme. The two pairs of the world’s fastest land mammal were received at the cargo terminal of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) by Forest minister Eshwar Khandre at 1.15 am on Saturday, along with Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) officials led by Dr Sunil Panwar, IFS, member secretary of ZAK. Describing the arrival as significant, Khandre said, “Once, cheetahs roamed the Indian landscape and in Karnataka they were locally known as ‘Sivangi’. But unfortunately, they vanished due to excessive hunting and habitat degradation over the years. Bringing them back and assisting in their adaptation to our ecosystem is indeed a significant feat. Their presence in Bengaluru, Karnataka, will offer visitors a rare opportunity to see a species that had long disappeared from India but is slowly reclaiming a place in our conservation landscape.” The successful import followed extensive health screening and an initial quarantine in South Africa, along with regulatory clearances under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and approvals from animal quarantine authorities in India. The minister said all four cheetahs will be moved to specially prepared enclosures for public viewing at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) after the mandatory 30-day quarantine period. He instructed BBP veterinarians and forest officials to ensure stringent quarantine, health monitoring and prescribed dietary protocols during the acclimatisation period. Even though the cheetahs in Bengaluru are part of an ex-situ conservation initiative within a zoological setting and not a wild reintroduction project, ZAK officials said the move complements India’s wider efforts by promoting public awareness, supporting scientific research and contributing to the genetic management of captive populations. The addition of four cheetahs to BBP also marks a notable diversification of its faunal collection, as the park is currently one of the few establishments in the country with one of the highest densities of carnivore populations. “Already known for housing a wide range of native and exotic species, the addition of cheetahs enhances the park’s profile as a major zoological institution and strengthens its role in ex-situ conservation at the national level,” said a ZAK official.
