Cheetahs became extinct in India in 1952 and nearly 70 years later, the Modi government took the initiative of reintroducing the feline. On September 17, on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday, he released the eight cheetahs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The cheetahs were flown to India from Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek, Namibia. However, the question that still strikes our mind is, why did they go extinct in the first place?
Climate Change, Low-Reproductive Rate, Hunting
National Geographic released a report which stated that Cheetahs are facing extinction all around the globe due to the reason of climate change, human hunting, and habitat destruction, all of which are hampering the size of their populations. Another factor that arises is that the genes of cheetahs also endanger their own survival. Cheetahs have a very low chance of reproductive success rate, which means that their species do not reproduce quite often or easily. This makes it even harder for them to adapt to different environments due to their fewer population.
At the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 14), a researcher stated that desertification was the primary cause of the extinction of the cheetah population.
Too Tame, Used & Captured for Sport
Many other factors were present too such as its distinctive characteristics often contributing to its demise. Cheetahs were hunted as a sport back in history. An IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan's Twitter thread has shown cheetahs chained like domestic dogs, in a picture from 1878. It can also be noted that sometimes an animal's compliance can also work against it. This big cat was so tender that it was compared to a dog.
Hunted Towards Death
Cheetahs were easier to tame and mold as compared to tigers, and it was immensely patronized by the Indian Royal families and nobility for centuries. In history, the earliest record of cheetahs being used for hunting in India is found in the 12th century Sanskrit text Manasollasa written by Kalyani Chalukya ruler, Someshvara III. The Mughal emperor Akbar was very fond of Cheetah coursing, or the use of trained cheetahs for hunting.
During British rule, Cheetahs nearly went extinct due to disinterest in hunting them. They preferred to hunt tigers, bison, and elephants. Forests were immensely cleared out for the development of settlements and the establishment of indigo, tea, and coffee plantations. This in turn resulted in the loss of natural habitat for the cheetahs.
Harmful Mutations and Inbreeding a Threat
According to the genetic analysis of cheetahs, another important factor is when the animal inbreeds and mates with one of their own relatives. Thus resulting in a narrow gene pool of the cheetah population. Harmful mutations, and issues like decreased genetic variability, make it more difficult for the remaining population to adapt to environmental changes.
Also read: Modi birthday: PM releases cheetahs at Kuno National Park in special enclosure | WATCH
Also read: How cheetahs are moved out of their natural habitat | 7 things to know
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