Why in the news?

  • The Union Environmental Minister released a publication highlighting the progress of Project Cheetah and Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) project in India.

Project Cheetah

  • What is it?: Project Cheetah is an initiative by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in coordination with National Tiger Conservation Authority. 
  • Aim: To reintroduce the cheetah, a species that went extinct in India in 1952
  • Features:
    • The cheetahs being used are African subspecies (southern/eastern African cheetahs) sourced from countries such as Namibia, South Africa etc.
    • The project was formally kick-started in September 2022 with the first batch of cheetahs arriving in India to India’s first site.
    • Site selection: Choose large protected areas with adequate prey base, minimal human-disturbance, connectivity possibilities and appropriate habitat for open-terrain carnivores (cheetah prefers open/grassland/woodland mosaic).
    • Genetic diversity: Use cheetahs from multiple source populations to maintain genetic health of the reintroduced population.
    • Monitoring & management: Use collars, field monitoring, prey base augmentation, habitat management, community involvement.
    • Phased expansion: After initial pilot site(s), plan other sites and scale up to create a metapopulation structure (i.e., multiple sites connected via corridors).

Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) Pjoject

  • What is it?: The Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) is a new national-level initiative by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
  • Aim:
    • To reduce human–tiger conflicts in non-reserve landscapes by ensuring safe coexistence between people and dispersing tigers.
    • To protect tigers that move beyond reserve boundaries due to habitat fragmentation, growing populations, and shrinking corridors.
    • To foster a landscape-level conservation approach, balancing ecological sustainability with human safety and livelihoods.
  • Period: The project will be implemented over 2025–28

Source: The Hindu