Madhya Pradesh govt refused RTI info on Project Cheetah: Wildlife activist

The much-vaunted cheetah conservation project initially drew criticism following the deaths of the animals. However, with the birth of 12 cubs this year, officials believe the project is on the right track. Pic for representation

The Madhya Pradesh forest department has refused to provide information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act on the management of cheetahs brought from Africa and their cubs born in India, PTI reported.

In response to a request filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, the department cited Section 8(1)(a) of RTI Act, which allows a public authority to withhold information if its disclosure would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, or the security, strategic, scientific, or economic interests of the State, or relations with a foreign country, or lead to the incitement of an offence.

Dubey had requested the forest department to provide "management correspondence records of Project Cheetah in Kuno and Mandsaur".

In his response, Saurav Kumar Kabra, Public Information Officer in the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Madhya Pradesh, said: "The information (under point number 2) is related to the management branch, which has decided not to provide information under Section 8(1)(a) of the Right to Information Act, 2005."

Dubey said this is the first time that information on Project Cheetah has been denied under RTI Act since the launch of the programme in 2022 under which eight Namibian cheetahs were released into Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park on September 17. The second batch, comprising 12 cheetahs, was flown in from South Africa last February.

"I have been disclosing irregularities in the conservation of big cats since 2013, but this is the first time I received a reply stating that disclosure of information about cheetahs will affect national security or relations with foreign countries," Dubey told PTI.

In a previous RTI filed by him on the health of the first cub born in India, the department had revealed that the cub's right leg was fractured on November 28.

Meanwhile, the government plans to introduce cheetahs into a fenced area in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh by the end of the year, with a focus on the animal's breeding.

A proposal to set up a cheetah conservation breeding centre in Gujarat's Banni grasslands was also cleared by the Central Zoo Authority in February.

According to a document released by the Union Environment Ministry earlier this year, the long-term goal is to establish a metapopulation of cheetahs in the Kuno-Gandhisagar landscape - comprising an area of around 9,000 sq km - after restorative measures, prey availability, and scientific management are ensured.

The much-vaunted cheetah conservation project initially drew criticism following the deaths of the animals. However, with the birth of 12 cubs this year, officials believe the project is on the right track.

Namibian cheetahs Aasha and Jwala gave birth to three cubs each in January. Jwala had delivered four cubs last year, of which only one survived.

With South African cheetah Gamini giving birth to six cubs in March, the total number of cheetahs, including the cubs, in Kuno is now 26.

Since last March, seven adult cheetahs (three females and four males) - Sasha, Uday, Daksha, Tejas, Suraj, Dhatri, and Shaurya - have died owing to various reasons.

The first six fatalities occurred in six months between March and August 2023.

(With PTI inputs)