I sat open mouthed, unable to say a thing when I read the news. Unfortunately, it was not anything positive. It was about re-introducing cheetahs in India.
I feel that this would be a very irresponsible step on our part. I do not think the cheetah has a very bright chance for survival, considering –
a) We do not have a prey base that can support an additional predator. Had we been in the Jim Corbett era, when jungles were abundant and healthy, teeming with prey, it would have been possible.
b) We have been proved incapable of conserving our wildlife effectively and thus, the cheetah will have very bleak chances of survival.
c) Our priority at the moment is the conservation of the indigenous tiger. Why are we deviating from it?
d) The money we will be investing in the whole cheetah experiment can be better utilized by trying to save the flora and fauna that is indigenous.
I hope we find answers to these questions before we go ahead with what seems a rather imprudent step!
I feel that this would be a very irresponsible step on our part. I do not think the cheetah has a very bright chance for survival, considering –
a) We do not have a prey base that can support an additional predator. Had we been in the Jim Corbett era, when jungles were abundant and healthy, teeming with prey, it would have been possible.
b) We have been proved incapable of conserving our wildlife effectively and thus, the cheetah will have very bleak chances of survival.
c) Our priority at the moment is the conservation of the indigenous tiger. Why are we deviating from it?
d) The money we will be investing in the whole cheetah experiment can be better utilized by trying to save the flora and fauna that is indigenous.
I hope we find answers to these questions before we go ahead with what seems a rather imprudent step!
