Reintroduction of cheetahs to India

Executive Summary

Cheetahs were last seen in India in the late 1940s before being declared extinct there in 1952. A consultative meeting of global experts, held at Gajner in 2009, concluded that the re-introduction of this species was worth considering for both ethical and conservation purposes. The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India mandated the Wildlife Institute of India with this task and plans are currently underway to reintroduce cheetahs from southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia) into reserves within India.

During such introductions however, the management of health risks, both communicable and non-communicable, are extremely important to maximise the survival of translocated animals and to minimise the risk of introducing a novel health hazard to the destination country. To analyse and manage the possible outcomes of situations involving health risks in projects like this, a process known as disease risk analysis has been adopted by World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) & International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The objective of this document is thus to identify all possible health risks of concern, while providing an evidence-based analysis of the said risks to the cheetahs translocated from southern Africa to reserves in India. In addition, health risks posed to native fauna in India due to the translocation are considered.

In order to compile the list of potential communicable hazards and to determine possible disease-management actions, a systematic scientific literature search was carried out to identify all potential pathogens (micro- and macro parasites) hazardous to cheetah in southern Africa, as well as those pathogens known and  potentially present in large felids in India. Additionally, personal communications with cheetah health experts and unpublished/anecdotal reports were also considered while compiling the health hazards of free ranging cheetahs in southern Africa.

Whilst cheetahs in captivity are prone to several disease conditions, these are rarely detected in free-living cheetahs. According to an IUCN assessment in 2014, infectious diseases are not considered to be a significant threat to wild cheetah populations. This is ascribed to their low natural population density. Cheetahs are also largely solitary and do not prey on other carnivores. These two factors limit opportunities for disease transmission both to and from cheetahs.

The risk of the re-introduced cheetahs either transmitting or contracting any communicable diseases was judged to be low or very low in most cases. These risks, as well as those of diseases that pose a medium level of risk, could be minimised through the administration of several vaccines and anti-parasitic treatments as well as the use of selective diagnostic tests during the pre- and post-export quarantine period.
Some non-communicable hazards were judged to potentially pose a low to medium level of risk to the re-introduced cheetahs. These include eco-climatic risks, starvation, interspecies aggression and genetic risks, which were judged to be low or very low. Mortality risks, related to the capture or translocation of cheetahs or to poaching, were judged to be at a medium level. These can, however, be minimised by the use of clear capture and translocation protocols and intensive post-release monitoring.

In conclusion, both communicable diseases and non-communicable hazards have thus been considered in this analysis. Whilst the risks may be moderate for a few diseases and hazards, strategies have been put in place to minimise these to within acceptable levels. 

The full report is available here: https://www.wii.gov.in/cheetah_disease_risk_analysis