Sharing an article published in The Pioneer. It quotes a paper published in Molecular Ecology that the African Cheetah is genetically different from the extinct Asiatic Cheetah. This confirms what I have been saying all along that African Cheetah was never a part of this landscape and hence should not be relocated to India.
Sabyasachi


Cheetah reintroduction programme genetically flawed
May 30, 2011 11:53:30 AM

Moushumi Basu | New Delhi

Molecular Ecology article questions MOEF project

An esteemed international journal, Molecular Ecology, has kicked off a debate on the ambitious `300-crore Cheetah reintroduction programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to revive these gravely endangered Asiatic grassland predators.

A paper published in the latest issue of the journal states that African Cheetahs are genetically very different from their Asian counterpart. The findings of the report have raised questions about the success of the Cheetah reintroduction programme.

“Is it to increase the population of exotic Cheetahs in Indian grasslands (which already exists in abundance) or is it aimed at rejuvenating their Asiatic counterparts to which India was once a home?” asks an expert.

The article, “Phylogeography, genetic structure and population divergence time of cheetahs in Africa and Asia: evidence for long-term geographic isolates”, based on genetic studies of both the species of the cheetahs has been written by Pauline Charruau. It states, “Asiatic cheetahs are unambiguously separated from African subspecies “divergence time estimates… place the split… at 32,000-67,000 years ago”.

Cheetahs are critically endangered in their Asiatic range, where the last 70-110 individuals survive only in Iran. We demonstrate that these extant Iranian cheetahs are the last representatives of the Asiatic subspecies, the report said.

“The basic objective of the much-hyped project was to revive this last surviving Asiatic subspecies and in the process our grassland ecology,” pointed out Dr Pramod Patil, grassland conservationist. After the publication of the paper and proven genetic dissimilarity between the two sub-species, it is baffling why the MOEF is still pushing for the Cheetah reintroduction programme.

The African sub-species are not threatened; they exist in good numbers, what is the point in “importing” 18 of these exotic animals and raise them on Indian grasslands? he questioned. He further pointed out that the Asiatic sub-species are not known to breed in captivity, and if the same holds good for African species then the programme is not likely to be successful.

To add to it, as per the article Cheetahs are genetically weak species. One cannot rule out the possibilities of inbreeding among the 18 South African Cheetahs, which would lead to further weakening of species.

“The objective is certainly not clear, what purpose would it solve,” shot back conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal. He further pointed out that as per the claims of Pakistan there are chances of the presence of Cheetah there. It is said that till 1997-98, Asiatic Cheetahs from Iran and Afghanistan must have crossed as far as Pakistan border.

The proposed site at Shahgarh in Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) is not very far away considering that these animals are prone to crossing territories. “This would definitely cause ‘genetic pollution’ of these endangered Asiatic sub species,” he pointed out.

Dr Patil further pointed out that even if Cheetahs are brought to the country “where is the conservation policy for grasslands”. India has the highest livestock population in the world, one can thus imagine the tremendous grazing pressure on the grassland. The Ministry should come up with a National Grazing policy if the grasslands are to be protected, he added.

Further, there is already protest amongst local people in Madhya Pradesh against the decision, hence reintroduction of Cheetahs could open a new chapter on human-wild life conflict. Without local support it is not possible to release cheetah into the wild.

Harping on similar lines, former PCCF MP, PM Lad, said, “The prospects of survival of genetically alien cheetahs here is very bleak, what is the ultimate purpose, I fail to understand.” In fact a senior forest officer declined to accept the responsibilities as Project in-charge for similar reasons, he said.

However, Wildlife expert MK Ranjitsinh, who is pioneering the Cheetah Project in the country, said, “We would definitely go ahead with the project.” He denied the fact that Iranian Cheetahs do not breed in captivity, and pointed out that they would be releasing the Cheetahs in the wild.

“I am very hopeful on the success of the project. The return of the cheetah would make India the only country in the world to have six of the world’s eight large cats and the only one to have all the large cats of Asia,” he added.

The source article can be found here: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.